Mafia's Missing Murderer.

28.

Luciana POV

"This is not going to end well", I thought as I ran down the sidewalk.

The owner of the convenience store has been on my tail nonstop for at least twenty minutes. I don't know how much more running my body can take. I stopped, needing to properly catch my breath. Before I could start running again, I was yanked into an alley. The  store owner ran forward slight, not having time to slow down and turn into the alley.

Before I could even scream, the person put me into an empty trash can.

"Stay quiet", he said before placing the metal lid on top of the can.

"Which way did she go", the store owner grumbled out of breath.

"Who?", the guy replied.

"You're telling me you didn't see a girl run down this alley?", I could hear the frustration in the store owner's voice.

"Oh, you mean the girl with the granola bar?", said the guy.

"I think so... yeah, that was her"

"Yeah, I remember seeing her. She came into the alley, then ran that way", the person explained.

"thanks"

After the store owner was out of sight, the guy lifted the lid off, and helped me out of the trash can.

"You know, if you are going to steal. Do it the right, not from some run-down convenience store that is struggling to stay open", the guy lectured me as he took a cigarette out of his pocket.

I stood there awkwardly and embarrassed, not knowing what to do. I hope this guy isn't planning to kill me, he is nearly double my size and I would be screwed.

"I haven't seen you around here before, where are you staying at?", the man asked me as he exhaled the smoke from his cigarette.

"I'm not sure yet... maybe this alley?", I embarrassingly stated.

"Bull shit. Come on, you can stay at my place", he motioned for me to follow him.

I hesitated before following after him. My parents used to tell me not to even talk to strangers. If my father cared enough, he would be here with me, holding my hand. What have I got to lose?

As we walked, he turned his head multiple times to make sure I was still following him.

"What's your name", he asked as he slowed his walking speed down?

"Lucia... Just Luci", I muttered not wanting to tell this stranger my full name.

"You can call me Zane", he told me with a comforting smile.

We stayed in silence until we arrived at a house. He took keys out of his pocket and unlocked the door.

"This is it, my house", he explained as we entered his house," I have two spare bedrooms."

He led me up the stairs into a room. All that was inside was a dresser, a bed, and an end table next to the bed. I must have been looking at the furniture longer than I thought. Zane came into the room with a small pile of clothes in his arms.

"Hope fully these will fit. Help yourself to the shower in the hallway bathroom", he explained.

"Thank you", I replied and took the clothes from him.

I almost instantly went into the hallway bathroom and got into the shower. It has been three weeks since I left Mrs. Peter's house; three weeks since I have been able to take a warm shower. 

After I was all clean, I wrapped myself in a fluffy towel. I barely recognized myself in the mirror. I sighed before putting the clean clothes on; they were very bagging on my small frame. I took the granola bar from my pants pocket and scarfed it down.

I went back into the bedroom that I was staying in. On the nightstand was a steaming bowl of chicken noodle soup, a spoon, and a note.

"Figured you would be hungry." 

I could feel my face light up at the small gesture. I sat on the bed and slowly began to consume the bowl of soup. It felt nice to have my stomach full. After the bowl was empty, I placed it back on the end table.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It had been nearly two years since I stayed my first night at Zane's house. Once we had gotten used to each other, he began to teach me the schoolwork I had been previously missed. I understood the subjects rather quickly.

Zane first started to teach me basic ways to defend myself. We bonded over that. He later showed me how to shoot a gun, and how to work with knives. At first, I was afraid of the gun, but I soon warmed up to it. After a few training sessions, I was basically a pro at it.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Hey Zane" My fourteen year old self said as I wandered into the kitchen.

"Hmm", Zane pondered as he sat the daily newspaper on the table.

"I've been thinking a lot about what you said the other day", I explained.

"Which thing? I tell you many things every day"

"About what I should do with my future"

"Oh", He picked up his cup of coffee and started to take a drink.

"Yeah, I think an assassin would be the best career for me."

He nearly chocked on his drink.

"Absolutely fucking not", he spat.

"You told me I could be anything I wanted to", I snapped.

" I thought you would want to be a nurse or a maybe a police officer not an assassin. You will not live under my roof if you choose to go down that career path."

I sighed. "Fine, if that is how you feel about my career choice looks like I am leaving tonight."

I instantly went up the stairs into my room. I started to shove only the necessities into my suitcase and backpack. After everything was packed, I went downstairs. 

I stood in front of the door for a few minutes, hoping he would stop me.

He didn't move or say anything.

I opened the door with a few tears threatening to run down my face.

He still never said anything.

After a few hours of roaming the streets of New York, I received a text on my phone.

"If you ever need anything. Anything at all, I am here" - Zane

_____________________________________________________________________