Everything or Nothing ! ( AMBW )

Chapter 24

Ty's POV

The same day

Niko's apartment

Shanghai, China

   "Please. Please. I am begging you..." my pleads are cut off by Mike's sobs. He drops to his knees from hearing that Niko has been murdered. After talking to Lei, I knew what I had to do...I jumped out the car and ran into a nearby alley that looked familiar. Maybe it was my impeccable memory or just dumb luck, but I found my way to Mike's apartment. I knew I had to come see Mike and reason with him to the best of my ability. "Mike...I know this is hard to deal with... extremely hard, but I need you to think rationally at this point. Right now, the last thing..." "Was he thinking rationally?" he questions me. "Huh?" "Was Lei thinking rationally before he decided to put a bullet into Niko's body?" "That's besides the point right now. I'm trying to prevent a full fledge war." "That's besides the point?! I never that you would be a hypocrite Ty. You want me to think rationally...but excuse your 'husband' for his irrational behavior and choices?! And don't say you are coming here to only prevent war, like you're saving the both of us. You only give a fuck about him and you know it!" he spits at me. I reel back from Mike, I feel like he just slapped me. Is that it? Does he really think so low of me? "That's not true Mike... that's not true at all! I want to stop more lives from being lost. So," I kneel down beside him on the floor "I'm begging you to please not retaliate against the Hai family. It will only bring more pain and death. Death for Lei and your family and you know it. I'm not asking you to do this for me or yourself...I'm asking you to do this for your family and friends. Avoiding a war could save lives and starting a war will ruin many." Mike ponders over my words. There, if I can get him to think about it then sure I can get Mike to agree to not starting a war with Lei. After this conversation, I will go home and talk Lei into giving up a portion of his organization as a peace offering between the two families. Then everyone will be happy. 

   "No." This one word leaves me in shambles. "No? Mike, you need to listen to me..." I begin to prepare a list of reason to say of why he shouldn't start a war, but he cuts off my train of thought. "No! Ty...No. No. No! This means war." I feel the tears falling from my eyes. "Please Mike, you don't understand..." "No, Ty, you don't understand. I just lost a piece of myself today when Niko died. A piece of myself that will never come back. And, that, his death, can ONLY be avenged through war!" " Niko, wouldn't want this at all. He was so sweet, loyal, funny, and kind. I watched him die. His dying words to me was asking if I forgive him for the role he played in my kidnapping. Does that sound like a man that wants a full out war happening to you, Mike?" "You didn't know Niko as a person..." "You didn't know him as a person...you knew him as your solider and that's all. Niko was the only nice person to me when I was holed up in that mansion. He was the one who checked in on me. He was the one that reminded me to behave so I wouldn't piss you off. He was the one who snuck me food when you ordered no one to feed one. We used to watch movies together. We had memories....I treated him like a human being." My body goes heavy over the realization of the words I just spoke. Niko was a good person and now, he's gone. "He was just a solider..." "Niko was my brother, TY. MY OWN FLESH AND BLOOD! So, don't tell me that I didn't know him!" My mind goes blank. His brother?!?! There is no way. "You're lying to justify why you want to start a war..." He grabs my arm and drags me close to his body. "Does this look like the eyes of a man that's lying?" I glance up into his pain filled eyes...I feel as though I'm being suffocated. The eyes are the windows to the soul...and his soul is crying out. "Two years ago, my father told me about Niko being my brother. He had an affair with one of our cooks. My mother found out and fired her. What my parents didn't know was that she was already about two months pregnant. A few years later, the cook wrote my father a letter about his illegitimate child. My father kept it hidden from my mother and sent her checks every month to support herself and Niko. Once I found out Niko was my brother, I took him under my wing. I never got around to telling him that he was my brother, but I loved him! I took care of him! I felt as though he's been around my whole life!" I didn't know how to respond to Niko's outpouring confession...so I reach over and hug him. "Ty, I know this war will come at a cost, but I can't ignore this grievance...at all. And, I'm certain that my father will order a hit on Lei, his family, or those closest to him." Mike looks deeply into my eyes. I know that 'those closest to him' means me. "Okay.  So an eye for an eye?" I ask. Mike nods his head. "Then, kill me Mike." If Mike kills me, then everything will be solved. "No, I won't do it. I can't do it. It would destroy me." "And, it will destroy me if a war breaks out and someone I love is murdered." I counter. Immediately, my mind float to Day and NiNi. I know I wouldn't be able to live with myself knowing that they were murdered because of my choice to love Lei. "I wish it was that simple, but you aren't my target...it will be Lei or other people he cares for." Bo or Kevin? My heart twists at the thought of one of them are dead. "You said it's an eye for an eye. He killed one of your loved ones, so now you have to kill one of his. It doesn't matter how it happens. So, pick me then, this can all be over." I reason with him. I would sacrafice myself a million times if that means that everyone I love is safe. "How can you sacrifice yourself for him, Ty? A man who betrayed you. A man that doesn't respect you. A man that doesn't cherish you. Why sacrifice yourself for someone like that?" I think about all of my memories with Lei...the good and bad. Happy and sad. Peaceful and angry. And in each of those memories, all I can sense is love. The love I have for Lei and the love he has for me. It's not  perfect, but it's our love. "Simple, for love." I pull out a knife from my purse and place it two inches from my neck. It's worth it. Goodbye, Day and NiNi... I love you Lei. I'm so caught up in my thoughts I don't notice Mike tackling me to the ground. He pins me down to the ground and the knife is across the room on the floor. "This isn't love, Ty." He says to me as his tears fall down onto my face.