Protecting The Princiepessa (Complete)

~ Chapter 8 ~

Izzy followed the route her dad took, her anger festering. She knew she wouldn’t stand Sara, she just didn’t know how deep or how strong that hatred would be. Stefano and Sienna were both great; actually, she rather enjoyed the carefree nature of Sienna. She would make a great little sister and deep down, in places Izzy wasn’t open to admitting yet, she was glad she met the little girl and that she was going to be part of her life. For way too long she had been an only child and though she loved her mother fiercely, growing up alone was a sad existence.

She paused as she heard the voices coming from behind a closed door. They weren’t arguing, but she knew they were talking about her. Really, she wanted to laugh at the upheaval that happened due to her coming because this wasn’t like a choice she made, it was made for her, and rather against her will. She waited another moment before she knocked a few times. She heard the voices stop and then Mariana opened the door, ready to cuss someone out but she stopped from saying anything as she saw Ignazia there.

“Oh,” she said and took a step back. Clearly, that was the last person she expected to see. “Do come in, Ignazia.”

“That’s okay. I was just coming to bid my goodbyes.” At that, Carlo stepped up behind his wife and frowned.

“You can’t leave,” he said.

“Oh, yeah, I can and I am.”

“Ignazia, I want you to stay here where I can protect you…” She waved her hand to stop him and both Mariana and Carlo looked rather surprised by that action.

“First of all, I’m not welcome here, let’s just be frank about that, shall we?” With that, she glanced at Mariana who ducked her head at that statement. She didn’t blame the older woman. Had that been her in her shoes, Izzy wouldn’t want the other child in her house either. “And I’m not sure me having to look over my shoulder to make sure my ugly step-sister wasn’t trying to stab me makes me feel anything close to protected.” Mariana cleared her throat to stop the chuckle and Izzy shrugged. “I’m a lot of things, but a fool isn’t one of them. You trusted Adriano to watch me, I trust him to keep on.”

“Well, yes, but Adriano has a job to do,” Carlo started but Izzy shrugged again.

“I’m not going to be in his way. He is free to do his job. His house is secure enough and it’s not like I’ll make the same mistake I did when I was younger and wander the city.” Carlo paled at those words but he wisely kept his mouth shut. “Have a good day.” With that, she turned on her heel and walked back down the way she came. She knew she was dealing with a mob boss who probably had no clue what to do with her. In fact, she was almost going to assume that no one dared talk to him like she had. And maybe she didn’t quite know how ruthless or scary he might be, but she wasn’t intimated by him.

“Are you okay?” She stopped at the end of the hallway and looked at the man who had stopped before her. Like all the other Italian men that seemed to be crawling around the house, he was well dressed but older than her, and the smirk he sported twisted her stomach into unknown knots.

“And you are worried, why?” she asked and the man chuckled as he shrugged before lifting the glass he was holding up to his lips.

“You were storming back down the walkway, just making sure a pretty girl like yourself is okay?”

“Cesar, what brings you by?” Adriano walked up behind the man, holding out his hand. Cesar smiled as he shook it.

“I need to talk to Carlo about some men that are moving into my territory and I need them taken care of. I was going to see if he would allow me to fire a few times.” Adriano smiled as he shook his head.

“You know Carlo won’t allow that, even if you are a higher ranking made man.” Cesar shrugged and then glanced back at Izzy who merely lifted a brow at him.

“New face I see,” Cesar murmured and Adriano glanced at her, shaking his head for her to stay mum, which made her confused. Why would some men know about her but not others?

“A friend of mine, actually. Needing some help is all. I told her I’d let her talk to Carlo.” Adriano lightly grabbed Izzy’s arm and started to turn her away.

“She doesn’t seem like the type that needs help, her looks won’t bring much.” Izzy stiffened at those words and quickly turned around to face him but Adriano stopped her yet again.

“She’s not a stripper, obviously. But she’s smart, cunning, brave, and severely headfast; a winning combo in the bosses’ book.” Cesar chuckled and Adriano turned them around once more, still holding her arm as he walked out with her. He took them to his car and opened the door, waving at her to get in, which now she was debating on, regardless of what she had just told her dad. “I don’t have all day, Ignazia.” His tone meant there was no argument to be had so she rolled her eyes but climbed into the car.

“What’s the deal back there, saying I was here as a friend to you?” Adriano started the car and took off, shrugging slightly, but that only set her annoyance up even more. “Bull s**t. Why didn’t you tell that man who I was?”

“Carlo doesn’t want everyone knowing you’re his daughter.” Izzy crossed her arms and glared at him. “Is he that f*****g ashamed of me or something because I don’t look like Sara or some bullshit?” The glace he tossed her let her know how childish that comment was but she didn’t care. She also wasn’t certain why she cared about others knowing about her.

“Hardly, Ignazia. He doesn’t trust a lot of people so him spreading the information that you are his daughter won’t be for a bit. He’s trying to see who he can trust and not trust.” She sighed and leaned her head back on her seat.

“I still don’t see why everyone is so damn worried about me.” Adriano came up to a spotlight and looked at her.

“You don’t really mean that. You have to have some type of clue.” Yeah, she did. But her irritation level was still high so the filter she usually had wasn’t quite working. She realized that and turned her attention outside while she cooled her temper.

“What was with that whole comment back there about me not being much as a stripper? Do you deal with them a lot?”

“Me, no, that’s what managers are for.” She snapped her head around and stared at him, causing him to laugh. “What? Strip clubs are damn good business and yes your dad owns quite a bit. It’s also a good way to sell illegal drugs.”

“What the hell? Are the strippers’ dealers or some s**t?” she questioned. She meant it as a joke but Adriano didn’t take it that way.

“They usually are. Especially when they take clients to private rooms. That’s where they tend to sell liquor and drugs. But we don’t trust just anyone to do that.” Her jaw dropped and she wasn’t sure how to pick it up. Again, she wasn’t sure what she knew about this world, but having strip clubs wasn’t part of it. He glanced at her and chuckled a little bit before turning down a street. “You seem very shocked by that.”

“I’m shocked he owns strip clubs.”

“He owns three to be exact. Along with two restaurants, two clubs, and one bakery. He also has men in the street who deal and capos who watch over them. We don’t always do dirty work, and even though we do, we do need businesses to cover those up. Carlo likes his businesses; they rake in the dough just as much as his illegal deals.” Izzy thought that over. She wasn’t a dumb girl, she could understand that the legit business would be needed but she just assumed it was more illegal stuff. She was about to say something when he took a sharp turn to the right, causing her to gasp.

“What the f**k? Why would you do that?” She glanced at him and noticed he kept glancing at the rearview mirror. “Adriano?” She was about to turn around and look but he reached for her leg and hissed.

“Don’t move; don’t glance around, act normal.” He sped up before catching another sharp turn. “We have a tail it seems.”

“What? Why?” This time he gave her a pointed look and she groaned. “Me again?”

“I highly doubt it’s over me. I just can’t figure out the car, it’s not one I know.” Izzy glanced at her side mirror but the glares off the car and windows from the sun were too much and she couldn’t see inside. Not that she would know the people inside to even utter anything.

“What are you doing?” she asked. He had done another turn and then another but the car was still on them.

“Making my story plausible. I’m sure word spread that I had a new girl of some sort.”

“What do you mean making your story plausible? I don’t need help.” Which was sort of true. Her eyes opened wide and she shook her head as his car finally stopped in front of some strip joint, at least that was what she was going to assume. Like hell, she was working in one! “I am not going into another one of those!”