All the guards welcomed him as he went inside the establishment. Right after his morning duty, Jaiden drove at the place where he could get to talk to his brother. And as she is taking her vacation, Jiana tagged along with her uncle.
"Cool, he works here?" She asked.
She was still a kid when she last saw Jaiden's brother personally. Though she could see him through pictures, she still thinks that her uncle is more intimidating in real life.
They meet not as frequent as the time when they are still living in the same roof together with their younger sister who chose to study college abroad. "You should stay here," Jaiden told his niece to stay behind the door.
"Aw, I thought I will be able to see tito," she pouted.
"Not this time," she sighed and just waited outside.
By that moment, he get to close the door and wait for his brother to come out. Jaiden meet him again, but with glass barrier keeping them apart.
His brother, with handcuffs on his hands and blue prisoner uniform, looked at him with his drowsy eyes and uninterested expression.
It is far from his identity before. He is lively and the pride of their campus. He had been the best of all students of their batch. Well-behaved, gentle, and has discipline, he has more exposure to social work than Jaiden. He wasn't able to finish Law School after admitting a crime.
His life was ruined, but having a brother like Jaiden, it can be fixed.
Jaiden noticed the bandages around his shoulders and cuts on his face as he sit closer to him. "How many times do I have to tell you to keep your cool? You only have one month left, four weeks and you're free. Gusto mo ba talagang madagdagan ang sintensya mo?" He nagged.
He received reports and complains from the prison with regards to his brother. There are times that he randomly punches some irritating faces just because they are bothering him, he also hurt some security officials. He doesn't want their father to be involved that's why Jaiden takes all the headaches. He swears that his brother is not as violent as he is right now.
"I'm okay here," he said without hesitations.
"How was the reunion of the clan?" He asked.
He wasn't able to join them because he is imprisoned. Some members of the family are still not aware of what happened to him, even Jiana. The Claras had hidden the situation so perfectly that even media are not able to cover and report it.
"You have to get out and live with us, with your family," Jaiden persuaded him.
He just shrugged, "I like it here, I can fuck the nurse,"
Jaiden heaved a deep sigh. "Tres will finish her study soon. You have to go back to your senses,"
"I know she wouldn't like to be visited by a criminal--" he stopped when Jaiden raised his voice.
"JOSS DOMINICK!"
He raised his brows after hearing his brother's voice and his full name. It's been a while since he last raised his voice. "You know what? I'm tired, if you keep your attitude like that, you better rot in jail," he said.
Dominick cbuckled a bit, "I will die here. I know it,"
"As you should. Because you're a bullshit," he spat.
"Yes, I'm a bullshit. Damn, I missed how you roast me with those," he smirked at his brother.
He stood up, knowing that it would just hurt his head talking to the stubborn man. "Just to inform you,"
"Dawn is alive,"
He went silent for a while. His drowsy eyes became lively and worried. He stood up too and went closer to the glass barrier. "Why won't she visit me? What did she say about me? Jaiden, please tell her that I miss her so much," sunod-sunod nitong sambit.
"Jaiden, is she okay? Did somebody hurt her?" he asked.
"I will not go back here anymore, so just wait until they lift your case," Jaiden told his brother.
"I can't wait any longer. Please tell her to visit me, or just take me out right now, I will come to her," he asked.
He knows his brother's capability of doing that since he is a known person, and aside from that, he is the current leader of their gang.
"I will ask the helpers to prepare your room. You will stay at our old house," he continue to talk, disregarding his brother's request.
"Jaiden, are you telling the truth? Or you are just doing it to fuck around?" He irritatedly asked.
"Even if I fuck around, you're still that dumb brother I have. So there's no point of fooling you because you already are," he told Dominick.
"But it is not the best time to fool around, Jaiden. I fucking need to see if she is alright," he finally went serious.
One thing that gives him motivation to live is no other than her. Jaiden knows how foolish Dominick could be just to please the lady. And he also knows how much he truly cares for her. Even if he turned to be violent inside the jail, once he saw her again, Jaiden thinks that he will go back to the old him.
The love they have is tragic, yet beautiful.
"I have her pictures," he took out his phone and scrolled through his gallery.
"Let me see, please," he pleaded.
"Go fuck the nurse instead," after hearing his concerned voice, Jaiden walked out of the room.
"Jaiden," he tried to call his brother again but seems like he has no intention to go back at the room.
"JUAN JAIDEN!"
Jaiden knows his brother, he also know that there is only one lady that will keep him sane.
He looked at his phone and scanned the pictures he have. Dominick will freak out more once he saw them.
In the picture, she doesn't have another man, but she is also locked like Dominick. The lady is not in the jail but she is being secured, and monitored. She is alone in an empty room, with a deep cut on her throat.
"Why is he screaming, tito?" Jiana asked her uncle worriedly.
"You know, siblings tend to annoy each other," he shrugged.
"B-but, he sounds scary po, is he a prisoner here?" She asked again.
He just chuckled. "Dominick is a scary man. Much terrifying than me,"
"That's why he's behind those bars?" she asked with curiosity.
"It is not that he did those for himself, Jiana. I would agree to do it to those people too if I were him. The world have more cruel people than those who are imprisoned," he said, his niece nodded.
Jaiden wanted to keep the picture, but he doesn't wish his brother to have another years in prison. He will take care of it alone, while he still have four weeks until his brother to be free from jail.
While he still have time, he wanted to fix the broken.
YOU ARE READING
One Step Ahead
Romance"I want to see myself through your perspective," In which experiencing youth is a privilege. She was forced to act older than her age and always had no choice but to move forward, making her one step ahead of others. But this advancement has her no...
