Protecting The Principessa (Complete)

~ Chapter 4 ~

Izzy looked from her dad to Adriano and back to her dad because she did not like, at all, how that sounded. In fact, what did it even mean? And really, why was any of this a big deal? She wanted to ask, wanted answers, but she knew she wouldn't get it, so she just sat back and crossed her arms over her chest again. Her eyes traveled back out the window as the plane flew over the tall buildings, heading for the airport. At least as a private plane, they wouldn't have to deal with the airport; she was quite certain they would have a private hanger or section where they would be climbing off of. She did have to admit that traveling in that style was something new to her. There had been a few times she flew first class, but still, she usually did coach. First class was already different, but for sure, a private plane was better.

"Ignazia?" Izzy shook her head and then looked at her dad.

"What?" she asked, but she realized it wasn't her dad that was talking, for he was busy on the phone, it was Adriano.

"When we land, there will be a group of men at the bottom of the staircase, Tony will be in front of you and I will be behind you. But I need to walk to that group as fast as you can." Izzy gave him a confused look for a moment.

"Is that like going to be a human shield of some sort for me?" she asked and he nodded.

"Pretty much, yeah. With Carlo's enemies knowing you are here, that you were coming, which isn't good by the way, that puts you in danger faster than we would have liked. So, it's our job to protect you, and that's what we're going to do." Izzy was about to protest that she didn't want anyone getting shot for her, but Adriano already turned around and walked back to his seat. She stared at his back, her thoughts tumbling around. She really didn't recall walking around with some bodyguard around, but guess that would have been her mom. And since she didn't have that, she had this. She jumped slightly in her chair when she heard the pilot overhead stating that they were descending and needed to fasten up. The other good thing about private planes, it seemed, was that it was faster. Or maybe she just didn't pay attention to the time while here. Once the plane was on the ground, she stood up but Carlo took her arm. She glanced over at him and she could actually see the concern on his face.

"There will be two cars, one for me and one for you. I don't want you going to my house yet." He stopped and glanced over at Adriano who looked annoyed as all fucking hell. "For the night at least, you will be at Adriano's house. He has a couple of guest rooms that he's willing to let you stay in. I want to see what happens tonight." Those words were a mystery to her; she couldn't quite make heads or tails of it. Did he think someone would shoot her in his own home? Wasn't it just his family that was there? And was she being set up like bait right now? And if that was the case, that was a little unsettling to her.

"Understood." There wasn't much else she could say to that, right? So, she followed Tony to the door and once he opened it, she scrambled as fast as she could down to the waiting men. But the sound of a ping right by her foot had her stepping back and right into Adriano, who snaked his arm around her waist.

"Move forward," he whispered in her ear but she was frozen. What the hell was that sound? She tried to glance down and look but Adriano shoved her, making her feet move. "Sposta il cazzo in avanti (Move the fuck forward), Ignazia." She stumbled, but his arm was still holding her, so luckily she didn't go down. But in a way, he was pretty much holding her up and carrying her, even if it was only a few inches off the ground. Within the next moment, the group of men was around them and they were heading to the black awaiting car. She was flung in and Adriano closed the door behind him as Tony got into the front. She turned around to look through the back window, seeing her dad get in the second car. Finally, she turned her gaze back to Adriano, her eyes wide.

"What the fuck was that back there?" Adriano pulled out his gun, checked the chamber, and looked at her.

"You got shot at, Ignazia." She stared at him for several moments, in shock.

"What?" He chuckled as he put the gun back and turned to face her.

"You got shot at. Someone knew you were here, hence the men. They just got one of faster than expected, or you were too slow, not sure which." Izzy glared at him and crossed her arms.

"Excuse the fuck out of me. I've never run down stairs and seen cement at the bottom of those stairs, it didn't seem all that smart to rush down them now?"

"But getting shot is more fun, right?" She narrowed her eyes at his comment. They had warned her actually, but she really didn't believe them. All of this really did seem so foreign to her.

"Why didn't they hit me?" Adriano lifted one shoulder up.

"Was it a warning shot? Was it a bad aim? Were you actually moving too fast for them to get a solid lock? I'm not sure. What I would bank on though, is that it was a warning shot. Not for you, but for your dad, letting him know they know."

"Who are they?" she questioned, although she knew. The same 'they' who had murdered her dad's family, but they just didn't know who 'they' were.

"And that, Ignazia, is who we are trying to figure out but we don't know yet. And since we don't know, you need to be protected." She leaned back in the car seat, her eyes still trained on him. Her dad had said the same thing, but in different words, almost as if he wasn't trying to scare her. But she wasn't some dumb teenager, like her half-siblings. She had lived in this world, had seen some nasty things herself because you couldn't always protect everyone from the darkness of the world.

"Are my step-siblings getting protected too?" She had never met them, hadn't ever talked to them, just seen what she could online and Adriano chuckled.

"Yes, the security around Sara, Sienna, and Stefano has been beefed up." He glanced at her as she turned to look at him, catching the smirk. "But something tells me, dear Ignazia, that you don't really care about that." Well, he wasn't wrong in that thought process but she'd be damned if she told him that. She just didn't want to be singled out when they were Carlo's kids as much as she was.

"I'm sorry." His head snapped around to look at her and he lifted a brow. "That I was difficult in coming. I didn't get it, still don't quite understand it, but that doesn't excuse me for not listening and creating scenes."

"You aren't the first difficult woman I've dealt with." She smiled at that.

"Tell me about your house?"

"It's not huge; it has three bedrooms, 3 baths, 2 car garage, and a high-end security system. I have a couple of my own boys patrolling the area, so there shouldn't be any worries on any end. I highly doubt whoever is after Carlo would think to come looking for you at my house." With that, the car pulled up to the garage, and as she watched him climb out, his phone dinged with a text. She followed him out and into the house, looking around at how clean it was. The kitchen, she could tell, was to the right, the living room was in front of her, and the hallway to the left must lead to the rooms. He put his phone in his pocket after sending his message and pointed to the left. "There's a guest bedroom that's closer to the master bedroom and I'd prefer you to sleep there. I also ask that doors be kept open." His phone dinged again and he pulled it out. She watched as his jaw clenched in anger and thought just how good-looking he looked, but she quickly refrained from going down that hole.

"So, am I going to have to be listening to you have sex, if that's the case? Or are you telling your chick there that you can't do anything because of company and she's pissed?" He stalked towards her and she could see he was pissed, however, it wasn't at her but she was about to get the brunt of it.

"What the fuck I do doesn't matter to you, Ignazia, got it? And who the fuck I have in my house is none of your concern. At least I can fuck around with gorgeous, sexy, and desirable ladies, ones who take care of themselves, who care what they look like. Unlike some other female that's currently staying here, there's what 250 pounds and the only men that slept with her were ones that were using her? And that's if they could even stand to look at you."