luciano salazar | district seven | fin

It is deep into the night and Luciano cannot remember the name of the one he shares a bed with. He is sure it begins with a J or maybe an E…This one was not planned, for sure the evening before was not one that he intended to spend the night in someone else’s comfort. It is his wife again. The mouth on her, each word rattles through his head. There is always something that he is doing wrong and she sure as hell lets him know that.

This evening she screamed in his face, to be honest he really does not know her reasons today. She must just get a kick out of releasing all her resentment onto him, not that he blames her. It is becoming a weekly occurrence now, his antics of bed hopping. After all, he does have two bastards as a prize for two of the occasions. But oh ripred, does the woman whose name is engraved on the gold on his ring finger really infuriate him. Luce has tried so hard to shake the woman off but after so many years and no signatures on the divorce papers, she is just a part of the house he returns to every other evening.

Sometimes he has had a bottle thrown at him as he has stepped through the door, he has retaliated but not gotten as far as physically hurting the woman. There was a time when they were sweethearts, inseparable for many years. There was a time Luce loved his wife but growing up has dragged him away from caring about her with his heart. She is the mother of his children. A Salazar by name, technically family now. It is going to be hard abandoning her.

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Luciano really did not need to return home to the wrath of his wife today, not after overseeing the most disastrous of tortures to get a loan paid back to the Salazars. Water boarding has always been his go too method, it is not messy and after a few gallons of water, the victim usually speaks or surrenders to whatever Luce is trying to force out of them. He has kind of become to loan shark of the Salazars, keeping books on who owes what and exactly where they are. He is all for giving back to the community if they all pay their debts.

The mayoral elections are looming and Luce’s brother, Valentino is eager for a few added funds to be added to the family pot and of course, Luce has been helping where he can. Today a young lad owed a whole lot of cash, the interest rate was through the roof and well a day late is just not good enough. And water boarding the poor soul was just not good enough for Luce’s older brother. ”Can’t we just hurry up with this lad,” Despite Luce’s best efforts, Val got in on the act and stabbed the boy in the arm, causing a mess that had to be cleaned up.”make him bleed! Shit come on, just make it happen already Luce.” The lad struggled after the blow and as soon as Luce removed the towel from his face, he was quick on sharing the so-called location of some hidden cash. ”I had this under control brother, he was just about to slip…” There has been a little tension in the air as of late, Luce just wants it other with. The quicker Val is mayor, the quicker life can get back to normal and maybe it will come with a few added perks too.

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It is nearly dawn. The sun is beginning to break through the gaps of the grey curtains, in the window just above the bed. The light shoots against the wall opposite Luce. For hours he has just stared at the back of the brunette’s head. Maybe if he is quiet enough, the woman will not rise from her sleep. He slips from under the covers, grabbing all his items of clothing from the floor and quickly throwing them onto his body. Before he can even button up his navy shirt, the brunette rolls over onto her back, eyes wide open.

”Are you really going to sneak out, Luciano? I thought you were not that type of man.” She says, sitting up in the bed, the covers hiding her chest from Luce’s view. He continues to button up the shirt, leaving three undone at the top. ”I loved tonight darling but I have got to go.” The woman crawls across the mattress, the covers still wrapped around her. ”Oh please stay a little bit longer.” All Luce can see are puppy dog eyes, he resists surrendering to her. He really does not want to return to the wrath but there are more loans to be collected today and well he would rather face the wrath of his wife than that of Valentino Salazar. ” Darling, I know where you live, don’t worry I will be back.”

He tries his best not to lie but as soon as he walks out of the woman’s front door, it will be the final time he ever steps foot in her house. There will be no memories of tonight, just like so many others in his history. They are just his escape. An escape from the reality that is his wife and the rest of his family. He is only glad it is not alcohol or drugs. At least this cannot really harm him? It is not a true escape though; he always ends back in the place he is running from. There will be no fleeing from the name that follows Luciano.