2. Leonardo #2
Pietro would live, and he wouldn’t even scar, which was really a pity, but I knew that if Alpha Franco didn’t kill me or allow his brother to do so, my life would be by far more miserable than it already was.
Despite everything that had happened, I knew they would spin the tale to make Pietro the victim and me the aggressor, which was laughable.
I shook my head at the thoughts and tried to keep myself as calm as I possibly could. I needed to be thinking clearly.
After washing and rinsing my hands a second time, I inspected them for traces of blood, and when I deemed them clean, I stared at my reflection.
There was a little bit of splatter on my own cheek, and I used a wet towel to scrub it clean.
I looked at my shirt, and although there were a few spots on the shoulder, it wasn’t anything too obvious.
Of all of the days that I chose to wear a red shirt, today was the day.
Later, when the blood dried, it would be more noticeable, but I wasn’t too worried about it at the moment.
I needed to figure out how to get to the other side of the city with what little funds I had on me.
I didn’t keep much cash at the pride house because Pietro and Bruno were known for stealing it.
Alpha Franco paid me for the work I did at the house, but it wasn’t an honest amount, and he only did so because he was forced into paying everyone who worked in the pride house.
It was just enough to keep from getting into trouble if anyone ever asked.
I was provided a room and two meals a day, and really, that was more than I would get if I lived elsewhere.
But that was the biggest issue. I didn’t have the funds to rent my own place yet, and I wasn’t allowed to get a job outside of helping at the pride house.
There was a quiet knock on the door, and I felt pure panic.
I slowly moved toward the door, wondering if I could hear who was on the other side.
“Stai bene?” a soft voice called out, and immediately, I relaxed.
That was certainly not any voice I had heard at the pride house before.
But that didn’t mean they hadn’t found me and had managed to get someone else to ask if I was all right.
“Sì,” I called out before unlocking the door.
I found a sweet older lady standing there, and she gave me a questioning look.
“Mi scappa la pipì.” I told her. It was the first thing that had come to my mind, and when her eyes grew large and then her cheeks turned a shade not much lighter than my shirt, I knew it had worked as intended.
I nodded to her and then walked off. I hoped that telling her that I urgently had to pee was enough to keep her from calling for help.
The last thing I needed right now was la polizia after me as well as my pride.
I knew the pride would come after me, but would I be able to get far enough away that they would simply let me go?
I stepped back out into the morning sun and squinted.
It was already warm for a mid-August morning, but the temperature had been unusually warm this year.
I would need to be careful with my funds while trying to navigate my way across the city.
Really, in general. I didn’t yet have enough saved to rent a place of my own, and did I wish to stay here in Rome?
It was a large city, but the pride had reach, and I knew that I would never be truly safe here ever again.
I would need to spend a good portion of the day walking, and since I had limited funds and no water bottle to refill, I needed to get started before it became truly hot this afternoon.
I was lucky that I’d thought enough to put not only my phone in my pocket this morning but my wallet as well, but I knew that everything else I owned aside from what was in my bag in the locker not far from the train station was lost to me.
I looked around, picked a direction, and started walking.
The thing about Rome was that there was no direct way across the city.
I just needed to get to the train station to get my bag from the luggage locker, and then I could purchase a ticket out of here.
I had all of my savings, my papers, my pictures I had of me and my parents, and exactly three sets of clothing in my bag.
That was enough to start out somewhere as far away from here as I could get.
I was going to be sleeping in questionable places for a bit, but in the end, it would be worth it.
I started walking, having to duck into a shop when the hairs on the back of my neck stood up.
I had long ago learned to trust those instincts, and more than once, it had saved me in many ways.
I watched as more familiar faces from the pride house walked by, sometimes talking on the phone, others just walking around scouting the area.
They were looking for me. News had already spread, and Alpha Franco had put out that those who were available were to look for me.
“Do you need assistance?” a sweet lady asked.
I shook my head. “I was looking for a water bottle. I forgot mine,” I said with a smile.
“We don’t sell them. Three doors down though.”
I nodded. “Grazie.” I peeked out the door again, saw that it was hopefully clear, and left the shop.
I glanced to my left, then right, and decided that perhaps straight ahead was the better choice.
It would possibly get me away from an area that seemed to be heavily concentrated with those from the pride who were looking for me.
I left the shop and took note of everyone around the immediate area.
I didn’t see any faces that I recognized from the pride immediately, but that didn’t mean they weren’t just out of my sight.
I spotted a tour group that was on one of those self-guided tours with the headphones on and quickly made my way over to join their group.
I smiled at them as I slowed my pace to merge with them for a moment, and then when we made it to a clear alley that would take me to the next block over, I separated and took off down the alley.
If I could even get to a bus stop, I could get away a bit quicker.
It was possible that those looking for me were expecting me to be close to the pride house with as quickly as I fled. Hopefully, having been somewhat planning on leaving, albeit not nearly this soon, was going to work in my favor.
At the end of the alley, I found myself in another, although this one was wide enough for carts to get through.
The cobblestone road was lined with umbrella-covered tables and chairs and the scents of all of the wonderful foods that the various cafes and restaurants had to offer.
My stomach grumbled, reminding me that I’d not gotten breakfast this morning.
Sadly, not only did I not have the funds to splurge on food, but I couldn’t take the risk.
The possibility of someone from the pride finding me, even over here, was too great a risk.
With that in mind, I turned right and started walking.