Bruno walked out of Camilo's room passing a worried Luisa and Isabela on his way to the stairs. Getting down the stairs he passed Mirabel, Dolores, and Antonio. He tried opening the front door but Castia didn't want to let him out unless it was sure he was going to be safe.
"Open the door Casita," Bruno said blankly. He was in a daze, unable to understand what the hell just happened and why. He didn't want to believe it; he couldn't believe it. Did his family actually go so far as to put him back in the situation he was trying so hard to escape? Did Camilo really pretend to be Andre? Or did he misunderstand the whole thing?
"Open the door," he said a little more demanding. He needed to think, he needed out of here. "I can get out whether you like it or not. I've done so already." He was starting to get angry.
"Casita, it's okay," Mirabel spoke up. She knew what happened. Dolores filled her in on what she wasn't present for. In Mirabel's opinion, the family was no good for Bruno right now. "Open the door," she told the house.
"Bruno!" Anbuela called coming out of Camilo's room just in time to see Casita letting him out. "Bruno wait!" she yelled out, but he ignored her.
He huffed in annoyance that his niece had to get the door open for him. It showed just how much control he had in his own life, none. Once open, he quickly made his way out of the house ignoring his mother as she continued to yell for him to come back. One of his rats barely had a chance to grab at his pant leg and scurry up to hide in his clothes as he walked.
"Mama," Juleita said placing a hand on her shoulder to help calm her mother. "Maybe we should just give him some time."
"He is a danger to himself. Someone needs to go with him," Abuela said with much concern in her voice.
"Dolores," Pepa called to her daughter. "Keep an ear out for your Tio." Abuela would have preferred someone bring him back, or at least go with him. But she supposed this was good enough, he would likely run from anyone that tried to tag along. After what they had done, she knew she deserved anything he did in retaliation. She just hoped he didn't try to do anything that might cause harm to himself.
.=.
Bruno walked toward the woods to avoid people in town. He wasn't really sure where he was going. He just knew he needed to get far from his family. It wasn't until he was by the river that he stepped on a rock, hurting himself a little, that he realized he forgot his sandals. The walk had helped him blow off some steam, but now he was just feeling sad and lost.
Sighing, he sat down cleaning the blood off his hands and arms in the water. Seeing the room morph from Andre's house to Camilo's room, along with Camilo crying and apologizing, automatically made him jump to the conclusion that his nephew had been pretending to be Andre. But he hadn't actually seen it, so maybe it wasn't true. But there was no other explanation.
Bruno pulled at his hair in frustration. Why would his family would do this to him? He couldn't fathom why they would want to simulate hell for him. Tears dripped from his face and he tried to wipe them away. He hoped they had a good reason, and he could ask them, but that would mean facing them. It probably didn't matter, why would it? He'd forgive them, he always did.
But it wasn't fair. Nothing was. His life had been one disaster after another, even before Andre. People would always believed the worst about his visions and him. He was never good enough for his mother, and he always upset his sisters. He never meant to do anything wrong, and he wanted to believe the same of his family. Maybe they had not meant harm, but even so, it just hurt so much.
Bruno was tired of being mistreated and misunderstood by everyone. It seemed like the ones that loved him the most did the worst to him. If being loved meant being hurt emotionally and physically, he wasn't so sure he wanted it. But deep down he knew that's not really what love is. So then, maybe his family didn't love him.
More tears streamed down his face. It seemed clearer that way. Maybe they hated him and wanted him to disappear again. His family did pretty well without him around. Now that the candle was working properly and Mirabel was treated better; they could do even better. But with him around, they only got chaos and bad luck. Bruno knocked on his head, "knock knock knock knock knock, knock on wood."
That was it wasn't it? He didn't get the chance to make up with them. He was taken, then one bad thing after another kept happening. Once again he is the center of everything wrong in their lives. It only made sense that they would think that if he were not around, they wouldn't have so many problems. He was the problem and they wanted him gone.
They didn't even chase after him when he left the house, which he felt grateful for, but at the same time, it was telling. They don't want him to come back. They had finally had enough of him. Getting Camilo to act as Andre was their plan to get rid of him. And it worked, because he wasn't so sure he wanted to go back home. He'd have to go back for his sandals and rats, but then where would be go?
"Why are you crying?" A woman asked behind him in a mocking tone. He stood quickly, startled. "You remember me from town? Valentina?" She inquired with a sinister smile.
Bruno wiped tears from his face with his sleeve. "Leave me alone," he said defensively.
"Why are you covered in blood?" She asked slightly curious, but she didn't really care. "Out murdering more innocent people? Like you did to Andre?"
He barked out a laugh. It was the funniest then he had heard in a while. "Andre deserved what he got," Bruno declared.
"I'm going to destroy you," Val growled out in anger pulling a knife from her pocket.
"Get in line!" Bruno shouted manically then walked past her to find somewhere else to be alone.
"Where you going?!" She yelled frustrated that he wasn't acting more afraid.
"Kill me or leave me alone!" Bruno yelled back walking into the trees as she began to follow.
He kept walking only to see some of her friends standing a few meters ahead. He changed direction to see a few more of her friends. This was not good. He changed direction again and picked up the pace hearing them follow and talk amongst each other.
Bruno's was still upset, and he did not want to deal with this. But he was becoming increasingly aware of how dangerous the situation might be. Self-preservation told him to panic and run, but another part of him hoped they'd do him the favor of ending his misery.
Self-preservation won, he was beginning to panic. If they got him, they would torture him first. Val had said so in town. While he figured he's pretty used to torture by now, he wasn't interested in any extra experiences. Worst of all, there would be no one to save or mourn him. His family already proved they don't want him.
Bruno began to run as he heard the foot falls behind get closer. He ran as fast as he could, and was able to put some distance between him and them. But he couldn't run forever, he'd have to find a place to hide. And home was not an option.
To his horror, he saw Dolores just ahead of him. She had come to find him after hearing Val and all the running. These people might try to hurt her too. "Tio Bruno?" She questioned seeing him run toward her, and then the people chasing after. Her eyes widened in surprise as he grabbed her hand quickly pulling her into a run with him.
Holding on to his hand, she ran along with him, but the people behind were starting to catch up. Bruno was getting tired and started to slow, so Dolores tightened her grip on him and picked up the pace pulling him along.
"Dolores," Bruno said through heavy breaths, "I'm going to distract them, you need to go back home where it's safe."
"I can't leave you," She responded pulling him harder as he slowed more.
"Yes you can," He insisted jerking his hand away and stopping. "Run!" He yelled at her, hurting her hears. She ran, but she intended to keep an ear on him and bring the family to save him. Unfortunately, she didn't get far, running straight into Maria and her twin sons.
Maria and Val had originally planned on scoping out the house for a way to get Bruno. They had not expected the man himself to come out of the house alone so easily and could not pass up the opportunity to get him.
The women's goals aligned. Maria needed Bruno to find out who exactly killed her husband to seek revenge, as killing the entire family was not feasible. Val wanted Bruno to kill as revenge for Andre. So, Maria would help Val get Bruno, and Val would help Maria get the info she wanted from him. Maria intended to betray Val, as she wanted Bruno alive.
"Let go," Dolores demanded trying to pull away from the twin teens as they held her by her arms. Rico pulled a knife to her throat to make her stop squirming.
Valentina pushed Bruno roughly to the ground and kicked him in the stomach when he tried to stand. "Where are you're fucking manners?" She shouted angrily kicking him twice more in the ribs as hard as she could.
"Enough!" Maria yelled for her to stop. Seeing Bruno hurt reminded her of her promise to Andre to keep him safe. But she had made a deal with Val. The angry little woman intended to torture the information out of him, and Maria was willing to allow it for her revenge.
Maria hoped Bruno would say who killed Andre too, it would help ensure his safety. But she didn't intend to let him be killed no matter what. If Val tried to kill him, she would kill Val. Her plan to keep Bruno safe and rescue him from the encanto had not changed.
"He said Andre deserved to die!" Valentina yelled angrily kicking him one more time before taking a few steps away to keep herself from hitting him again.
Bruno groaned and slowly got up with one hand on his ribs where it hurt the most. He was sick of these people. "I didn't just kill him." Bruno revealed angrily, "I let my rats chew and eat him to death. He died screaming and choking on his own blood."
"You motherfucker!" Val screamed lunging at him. Maria quickly grabbed her holding her back.
"Calm down!" Maria shouted trying to gain control of the situation. "Stop lying Bruno. Are you trying to get killed?!"
"I'm not lying," Bruno responded weakly trying to catch his breath. It hurt to breathe because of his injured ribs. "Let Dolores go, and I'll tell you what really happened to Dante."
"You're just going to say you did it," She countered.
"Just let her go!" He yelled.
"Why are you trying to protect your family?" Maria asked. "They treat you terribly. Andre told me-"
"He told you lies," Bruno interrupted. "I love my family. They are good and decent people that only ever try to help those around them. Andre was a monster. He took me against my will away from my home and family." Maria was confused. He looked sincere, but she had known Andre for years, and he seemed so genuine about their love. Bruno had to still be lying.
"He hurt me," Bruno admitted, tears flowing down his face. It was hard to say out loud, but for the safety of his niece he had to convince Maria of the truth. "He forced me to be with him and told everyone we were in love. He beat me when I wouldn't do what he wanted, and raped me when ever he felt like it."
"But, I heard you say that you love him," She said in disbelief. When Andre and Bruno had stayed the night she heard them having sex, it was a small house with thin walls. Bruno had yelled that he loved Andre, so how could he be saying the opposite now?
Bruno whined into his hands remembering that moment and tried to push it from his mind. He then looked at her, trying to wipe his tears away. "He made me say it. He wouldn't stop making it hurt until I said it." Maria was nearly in tears. It couldn't be true, but Bruno was a bad liar. This did not seem like a lie, it was too humiliating. Any other lie would be better than this one. This was wrong.
"Bruno, if Dante and I had known- Dante would have never attacked your home," she said. If what he said was true, his family was innocent. But they had still murdered her husband, so surely they weren't that innocent.
"Dante did know," Bruno told her. "The first time I met him, he made a joke. He said I was tempting but he's married. He knew, he didn't care, and he thought it was funny." Maria and her sons were shocked by this.
Dante had done many crimes, but he had standards. He'd rob people, but not the poor. He sold drugs, but not to kids. He kidnapped, but always gave the person back with no harm done. He tortured people, but only when necessary. He murdered, but never anyone who didn't deserve it. But he never, never had raped anyone nor condoned it. There was never a reason to commit such a crime and someone as harmless as Bruno certainly didn't deserve it.
"This is a load of shit," Valentina finally spoke up. "He's just trying to get us to kill him quicker so we don't find out who really killed your husband. Let's stick with the plan."
"I'll tell you whatever you want to know. Just let Dolores go," he pleaded. Maria didn't know what to believe. But whether Dante really knew that Bruno and the Madrigal family were innocent or not, she had a duty as his wife to seek revenge.
"Dolores stays," Val commanded. "She can lead your family right to us." She smiled leaning into his personal space and pushed on his ribs making him wince. "Do as I say and she'll be safe. If you don't cooperate, she'll get the same treatment you."
"Don't touch her," Bruno growled.
Valentina smirked evilly, "You should be more worried about yourself. My friends and I are going to do things to you that would make the devil blush."