Broken Pieces

CHAPTER {6}

DOMENICO

I gulped down the rest of the scotch that was left in the glass. I waved at the hostess to get me another bottle. That's what I always tend to do, drink my problems away.

My siblings are my responsibility. If anything were to them, the first thing to come to anyone's mind is me. 'You didn't protect them enough' or 'You didn't care enough for them' it's always my fault.

I let out an exhausted sigh, I haven't slept in a week, Alexandros got a girl pregnant, Armano went to jail, Zachariah also went to jail for burning an entire school down, Zachary, he's the only good boy and now I have to deal with a girl who I didn't even know existed. And to top it off, the German mafia stole half of our shipment leaving me with a huge sum of money I have to pay off.

No matter how hard I try, I could never give them the life they wanted. A better life. Akari didn't deserve to be left with that woman for twenty years. I look over to her and see her sleeping. She's never at peace because even now, her face is scrunched up.

I didn't think much about it but then she started to choke in her sleep. Her hands were scratching her throat and she was letting out struggled breaths. I immediately stood up but wavered slightly from standing up too quickly. I got to her and started shaking her, gently.

"Akari," I tried calling her but she seemed to have worsened as she also began to cry. "Akari," I called her again, this time with more panic. I began shaking her less gentler and shouting her name even more.

AKARI

I woke to someone's voice calling my name. I punched the person in the face, this time it was reflex and not out of fear. I sat up straight, taking out shaky pants as my eyes looked around the room.

Where am I?

My thoughts were interrupted by a deep groan from the person I just punched. It was Domenico, "I'm so-" I try to say but he raised his hand signaling me to shut up. I wiped the tears of my face and took a deep breath.

It was then I realized he was bleeding, again. I checked where I was sitting and took an unused napkin, "Here," I said, stretching my hand, signaling for him to take it.

He took and pressed it against his nose. "Remind me to never wake you up again," I looked down to my lap, ashamed of what I had done. "Hey, it's okay, you're just on edge, I get it" Domenico tries to comfort me but failed as I still felt ashamed.

"I'm sorry to interrupt but the plane is landing now." A pretty lady with a caked face said and left after her announcement. Domenico stands and puts my seatbelt on for me. I slightly tense at the close proximity.

He goes back to his seat and does his belt too and opens his laptop and he puts all his attention to it. I see a deep looking scar on his neck. It was covered by a tattoo of a rose.

Maybe one day I should get tattoos to cover up my scars too but I think they're too many to be covered.

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