Right Through Me

T W E N T Y T W O

"It's better this way, me in the hospital bed...not you."

That statement alone echoed through my head, his voice resonating through my ears and only causing me to slowly and painfully lose my mind. After that night, Donovan went back home and stayed there, claiming he wanted a break from the Gladiators.

Which, only sparked my curiosity. Why didn't he just quit the Gladiators and focus on his club? Why did he intentionally lose? Why did he tell me that?

"Why can't I get any sleep?!" I screeched, throwing the covers off of me and laying in the darkness, staring up at the ceiling.

It hasn't even been forty-eight hours since that night and I still couldn't wrap my head around why he did what he did and why he said what he said. Not only that but I couldn't seem to understand why this was bothering me so much.

* * * * *

"John," I said, placing the bottle of sweet tea on the counter for the familiar man to scan. He hummed in response, keying in the items code. "What happened to my mother?"

"She was shot."

I stared at him until he looked into my eyes and when he did, he sighed heavily and bagged the bottle of tea. "I've already told you, I didn't see anything."

"But you knew everything about her. Who shot her?"

He stood behind the counter, his face void of expression. "No, Angelina. I won't tell you such things. If I do you'll just end up like your mother, shot and left for dead on the street."

"Was my father behind it?"

His face darkened and he gritted his teeth. He angrily shoved the receipt in the bag and shoved it towards me. "Get out of here, Lina. Go, before you get yourself in trouble, again."

Sighing in defeat, I grabbed the bag, threw some change on the counter and exited the corner shop. When I did, my phone went off, loudly, and I reached into my pocket and answered it.

"Hello?"

"Lina, it's me, Bill--"

"Oh, Bill! Hey, how's it going? How's the wife? Kids?"

"Listen, Lina, now isn't the time for that. There's something you should know."

As if life itself couldn't get any worse. Just when I believed things were going well, these past weeks have been nothing but a kick in the shin and now; the worst possible thing that could have ever happened to me just happened an hour and a half ago.

"T-Thanks...Bill," I mumbled into the phone, slowly pulling it away from my ear and hanging it up.

In that moment, it felt as if the air from my lungs was being squeezed out and suddenly, the world around me started to spin.

"Lina?"

Not now, please, not now!

I turned my head a little, just enough to see Donovan in the corner of my eye, clad in dark denim jeans that hung low on his waist, big boots, a black V-neck and his black leather jacket slung over his shoulders, revealing his propped-up-broken-arm. I rubbed my eyes nervously, to wipe away some of the terror evident on my face.

"Hey, Donovan."

"You look like you just saw a ghost."

"No, but I am currently living my worst nightmare."

He looked at me with confusion but I waved it off. "Did the Japanese pay you to lose?"

I could see a reaction from him. I turned to fully face him and he glanced away from me.

"Stop asking about that, it's none of your concern."

"It is, Donovan. I'm sorry, but I don't think you even understand how much of a concern it is to me," I snapped, my voice raising and his eyes snapping back to me. "Was it the Japanese?"

He stared at me for a moment, completely astonished at my sudden outburst and searching my eyes for something.

"What are you, Sherlock Holmes?"

"I had a feeling it was them," I mumbled.

"How did you know?"

"My mother was killed by the Japanese," I told him. "My father wanted my mother dead, but he was in prison; I'm guessing he's working with the Japanese."

"And what would make you think that?"

"My dad was just bailed out of prison, an hour and a half ago by a Mr. Hitachi Yakuza. Sound familiar, Donovan?"

"Did you seriously stand here and think that up in two minutes?"

"No, I've been thinking about it since your fight, Donovan."

"You're playing with fire, Lina," Donovan finally snapped. "This isn't the Russians we're talking about. The Japanese aren't to be messed with, they're a ruthless gang; they kill anyone for good bucks, including women and children. They find out you've been snooping around their business they will kill you."

"Idiot!" I screeched, hitting his uninjured arm. "Don't you get it? I'm not concerned about finding information about them and exposing them. My father, who is a murderer, wants me dead as well. If he's out and he's working with the Japanese I might as well start digging my own grave and paint a target on my back!"

Just then, I saw realization smack him upside the head and a flash of rage and worry flashed through his eyes. "You should've gotten straight to the point."

"My father knows where my clinic is, he knows I live there too. If he's going to target me next, I'm not safe there or anywhere."

* * * * *

"This is not what I meant, Donovan," I snapped, slapping him in the gut as I stood before one of the guest bedrooms in his home.

"Diane and Ethan are on a cruise, they locked the house. This is your only option," he grumbled. "The Japanese know better than to step foot on our territory again after the last time."

"Last time?" I asked, almost a bit horrified.

"Let's just say...we made an example out a few of Hitachi's thugs."

I bit my lip out of discomfort and shifted further into the room.

"You stay here until further notice, Lina," Donovan said. "That also means no working at the clinic so you better make some calls. Me and my brothers are working on finding more intel on the Yakuza's."

"But--" before I could utter another word, he shut the door behind him and I stood in the extremely large room, alone and by myself.

Of all times this must happen, it has to be now? This is going to be excruciatingly painful.