My Masters' Nightmare Season 1, Episode 5 Escape by Marita A. Hansen Page A

washing
Bianca’s blood off his hands, the red-colored water swirling down
the plughole, absolving him of her murder... No, I had to hope she
wasn’t dead, that she was just knocked out, and if he left then I
could make Frano wake up, so he could help her, because I couldn’t
help anyone, let alone myself.
    I sucked in a breath as Alberto exited
the bathroom. He headed for the bed, making me fearful he’d spotted
me, but instead he spoke his brother’s name. The mattress went
down, Alberto sitting right above me, the monster for once not
under the bed.
    Alberto started talking, his voice
thick with emotion. “I could’ve died tonight,” he said to the
sleeping Frano, “luck my only savior, but things are still bad. Don
Donatelli and Lucky are dead, Bianca and Thierry responsible. I’d
finally progressed with negotiations, gotten them by the balls,
then those two bitches fucked it all up. Bianca has paid for what
she did, and when I get my hands on Thierry I will crucify the
little fenucca .” He paused, then barked out a laugh. “No, I have a better
punishment for him. I’ll trade him for Jagger, after all they do
look similar, plus the Padre likes boys and Jagger is all man.” The sound of a
kiss followed, then Alberto stood up and left the room, closing the
door behind him.
    I stayed under the bed for I don’t know
how long, too scared to move, because I wasn’t sure if he was
tricking me. I imagined him standing by the door, just waiting for
me to crawl out so he could grab me, then punch me over and over
again, smashing my face in like he did to Bianca.
    Bianca!
    I need to stop being the bambino they all called me and start
being a man, because she needed my help. I poked my head out from
under the bed, searching for any sign of Alberto. When I didn’t see
him, I crawled out and peeked over the bed, making absolutely sure
he wasn’t still in the room. Relieved he was gone, I pushed up and
started shaking Frano again, but again, he wouldn’t wake up, the
man dead to the world. The thought of him being dead made my heart
miss a beat, the memory of the two dead men, the poison, their
stillness... Oh mon Dieu! Not Frano! He couldn’t be dead, he couldn’t be!
Bianca wouldn’t have done that, NOT to Frano!
    I placed my ear to his
chest , the
steady beat of his heart the most beautiful sound ever. I wanted to
cry out with joy, but kept silent, still too afraid that Alberto
would hear me.
    I hugged Frano, so happy that Bianca
hadn’t killed him. I knew she didn’t like Frano, but he didn’t
deserve to die, not at all, because he was the loveliest man I had
ever met. No one was kinder to me than Frano, not even my own
brother. Jagger was nice, but I hardly saw him since he was
constantly flying to New York for work, unlike Frano, whose office
was downstairs, where I often found him asleep at his desk, the man
so hard-working.
    I pulled back. “Please wake up,
Frano.”
    He remained asleep, his expression
peaceful, a complete contrast to the fury I’d seen on Alberto’s
face earlier. I wondered where Alberto was now, probably still
searching for me. I shook Frano again, frustrated that he wouldn’t
wake. I didn’t want to hit him, I didn’t, but I couldn’t think of
anything else that would wake him, so I slapped his cheek, but it
must have been too soft, because he didn’t react, so I breathed in
deep and slapped him harder, cringing as I did it.
    He moaned, but his eyes remained closed,
making me feel bad that I had hurt him, although his moan still
gave me hope.
    “ Frano, please wake up.” I shook
him, then slapped him again. He moaned longer this time, but still didn’t
wake.
    I started
crying ,
everything too much. It almost made me wish I was back at La Dame
Bleue , the
brothel in France where my mother and I had worked. I laid my head
on Frano’s chest and hugged him. I wanted him to hug me back and to
tell me that everything was going to be alright, that Bianca wasn’t
dead and that