I had been standing by the kitchen counter when the first puppy had started growling. Considering they were merely small pups and got scared easily, I didn't think much about it at the moment. However, when all five puppies joined in and howled in unison, I became paranoid and went into my bedroom to fetch my Beretta. I tucked it into my pants and sighed, a bit relieved.

After searching the house and finding nothing out of the ordinary, I gave the dogs their afternoon meal. I pet their small heads as they munched away. Why I had adopted 6 Huskies, I couldn't understand. They were beautiful, though. Five puppies and their mother. It was the closest to a family I've had for a long time.

I stood frozen in my spot as I felt the cold barrel of a gun push up against the crook of my neck. After all these years of being a hitman, I had stupidly let my guard down. A second is all it takes for you to die. In the back of my mind, I knew very well that I had a prize on my head, but I had brushed it off, thinking no one would bother to find me. It seemed I was wrong. "Go ahead, kill me. Isn't that what you are here for?" I bared my teeth and snarled like a dog, my nose scrunching up in anger.

The intruder grabbed my shoulder and spun me around so that we were face to face. Piercing blue eyes stared back at me. Blue eyes that I recognized in an instant.

Eyes widening like plates, I stuttered quietly, "Joseph? W-What the hell are you doing here?" Either he was here to kill me or this was going to be an incredibly awkward reunion after 4 years.

With a light chuckle, he holstered his gun and pulled off a bandana that covered his face. On the right side of his jaw, he had a bloodstained bandage that covered a large proportion of his jaw. I bit my lip, having a few guesses on what had happened to him. He winced as he pulled it off, revealing the gaping wound right beside his mouth.

Covering my mouth with my hand I whispered, "Oh my god... Who the fuck did this to you? And why in the fuck's name haven't you got it stitched up yet?" The man before me was not the same man who had been my partner all those years ago, but someone who had been broken. He looked ashamed, his eyes glued to the floor. "Do you know who did it?" I asked quietly, picking up one of the whining puppies. It was completely black with ice blue eyes. It barked happily, its tongue hanging out its mouth.

Joseph shook his head. He didn't say a single word, which was understandable considering the damage done to his jaw. I remember he used to have endless conversations in Italian, none of which I understood. He was so happy when he spoke in his own language and laughed when I had raised a questioning brow at his rambling.

I handed him one of the puppies with a smile and said, "Well, I'm sure they won't live too long."

He held the puppy at arm's length, a puzzled expression pasted on his face. He raised a brow at me, a small smirk forming on his lips.

"You can stay here tonight if you want. I'll call some of my contacts and ask around on what they know about this. No names mentioned." I gave him a weak smile, pointing to one of the rooms, "That's the spare room. You can lock the door if you want."

Joseph put his hand on my shoulder and gave me a small hug, silently thanking me for the hospitality