the escape plan

VALERIO

Valerio Bianchi is far from innocent.

At just sixteen, he’s already got a stack of case files, with even more hushed up by his older brother. But he doesn’t care—until his mom decides it’s time to move.

“Mom, how much longer?” his little sister, Valentina Bianchi, asks from the back seat. Her eyes are heavy with sleep, and he has to fight back a yawn.

He looks at his mom, who’s driving. Valerio’s always been good at hiding his feelings behind a cold exterior.

Maybe that’s why his dad thought he’d be the better choice to be the next Don of the Family. But he’s just too young.

Vincent Bianchi got the title. Valerio never wanted it anyway. They’re stepbrothers, after all, and his dad never really saw him as a son. Valerio isn’t blind.

Carmelo Bianchi always wanted a daughter and was overjoyed when he had Valentina with his mom—the man’s mistress.

Valerio was just the backup if Vincent ever strayed, which was highly unlikely.

“Just a few more minutes, sweetheart,” his mom answers.

He can’t blame her. His dad was a jerk to her. He never loved her. She was just his distraction and his mom was finally done.

She’s leaving without even saying goodbye and taking her two kids with her.

But Valerio was born into this life. While his sister lived a normal life, his dad made his hands dirty with crimson colors.

Now, Valerio loves the thrill of fighting. He loves the thrill of risks and he’s become something his mom has started to despise. A monster.

~Welcome to Spades Street~, the sign reads. They’re in new territory. The street is quiet but Valerio knows it’s anything but.

They’re in someone else’s territory and if they’re ever found, it’ll be chaos.

Carmelo Bianchi would look everywhere for them but not under the noses of the Giordanos’ territory. It would be a violation of the Mafia laws and it could start a war.

And war is something his dad definitely doesn’t want right now. Hence, his mom chose this place.

“Remember kids,” his mom breaks the silence. Valentina’s sweet brown eyes snap awake, thinking they’re there.

“From now on, you guys are no longer Bianchis. Got it? Don’t ever forget. Stay under the radar and don’t forget your fake name.”

Valerio wants to change. He doesn’t want to fall into the life his stepbrother has. Vincent Bianchi was once a good man until he started taking the reins from their dad.

A playful boy, he became the kingpin. Hence the nickname, Kingpin.

“Sure,” Valerio mutters as he leans his head against the headrest in the car.

Valentina would never go against them. She’s too innocent for that. “Brother,” she calls out to him like an angel fallen from the sky calling for help. “What place is this?”

Her question is so innocent that he can’t help but smile. There’s one thing Carmelo did right. He kept his daughter innocent to all this.

To her, this is just a breakup between their parents. To Valerio, this is a sign of breaking ~omertà~.

“A place for freedom—our freedom,” he replies.

FRANCESCA

“Hey, where did the tattoo behind your ear go?” Sophia asks, her eyes narrowing in confusion.

My eyes widen and for the first time that day, my facade cracks before I can mask it.

I chuckle. “I got rid of it. I didn’t like it anymore.”

But the damage is done. Mr. Magritte’s eyes are on me as soon as things get uncomfortable. I clear my throat before giving him a stare.

It’s meant to stop him staring, but he doesn’t until my gaze becomes colder. It’s then that he snaps out of it and realizes what he’s doing.

The damage really has been done.

***

A gasp escapes my lips as my eyes threaten to close again. Someone’s pulling me but I can’t move because of the intense pain.

My head pounds as I try to move, but it’s as if I’m paralyzed.

I can see blood. A lot of blood. And it scares me that I don’t know where it’s coming from. I can hardly speak.

“Hurry!” a muffled voice yells. I can’t place whose it is exactly, but it’s familiar.

A bang sounds before silence surrounds me again, but it doesn’t even last a minute.

The buzzing in my head is subsiding before I hear more bangs. Someone pushes me back inside the car. I can feel sleep coming; I’m losing consciousness.

My eyelids are barely parted but I can make out blurry figures outside the window. I’m sprawled across the back seat in a familiar car, the seatbelt doing its best to choke me.

The car door opens from the other side and a bulky man’s face peers in. My sight is too blurry to recognize him and I feel too numb to move a muscle.

I’m purely dependent on my bodyguards.

“Donna?” The man’s voice echoes. “Shit, he’s gonna kill us.”

The stranger quickly peels my seatbelt off before gently trying to pull me out. The gentleness surprises me. I’m smart enough to know that I can’t sleep.

I can’t give up on my life like that. I know that if I give up now, all will be worse. But maybe death is the only option for freedom.

~Hell no. I’m not going to Hell.~

I try to keep my eyes open but it’s just too hard. “That’s it, Donna. Stay awake,” the voice tries to guide me, but I’m too far gone to fully comprehend what he’s saying.

~Fudge it!~

My eyes close at my will, making me instantly relax. Maybe Hell is a better option than this. Not maybe, of course it is.

I’m in someone’s arms. Though my senses are numb, I can feel their arms around my bare thighs and back, holding me up like a bride.

Every second, my senses are fading, but the distant echo of gunfire still reaches my ears. Suddenly, everything freezes, including the man who's holding me. Then, we're falling.

A silent scream rips from my throat as we plummet. The man's bulk absorbs most of the impact, but my left leg takes a hit.

The pain doesn't register immediately. But when it does, it comes in waves. I try to force my eyes open, but it's a battle I can't win.

“Fuck!” a voice shouts, just before my senses shut down completely. I surrender to the engulfing darkness, my eyes closed, a sigh of relief escaping my lips.