Protecting The Principessa (Complete)

~ Chapter 6 ~

Izzy let her eyes slowly trail over him before mentally shaking her head and looking away. She licked her lips and turned her gaze back to the moon, giving herself a moment before talking. "It's hard leaving everything. When I got out of the shower, I couldn't sleep. And the view from here is amazing."

"I see." She heard him as he walked into the room and sat on the opposite end of the couch. She wasn't sure why that seemed to have comforted her, but it did. She also thought she was losing her mind because the last thing she should find comfort was from him, not when he disliked her so.

"How long have you worked for Carlo?" She shifted to glance at him and he smiled.

"Think there will ever be a time you can call him dad because calling him by his name is rather disrespectful." Izzy sighed and glanced down at her hands.

"He is my dad, will always be my dad. But I have a lot of anger towards him right now. I'm hoping it will fade because I've always loved him, but I'm just having issues right now. But don't change the subject."

"I was 11 years old when Carlo caught me stealing sweets out of his bakery. He didn't work it, but he owned it. I lived in a rather horrible shack of a house just down the way and my mom was poor as could be, we barely had food to eat. Anyways, the day he caught me, I thought I was dead. You knew who Carlo De Santis was, especially around those parts. He told me he didn't want to see me in that life, that he saw potential in me.

"I'm not sure what he saw in an 11-year-old boy, but he took me under his wing. He helped my mom move out of the area and into a nicer home; he had me working for him. Nothing bad, not at that age, but I was really good at sneaking into places and I was really good at collecting information, and that's what he had me doing." He paused and Izzy tilted her head as she watched him. "I was a made man by the time I hit 15 though. Worked my way up over the time and now I'm really the only one he sees controlling this empire he built up."

"I don't know the politics of the mafia world, but my step-brother wouldn't take it over?" Adriano shook his head.

"He doesn't want to nor does Carlo want him to. They are royalty, your step-siblings, but they aren't part of that world and your dad tries very hard to keep them out of it. They have wealth and attend fine things, but that's about the extent of it. He's done for them what he's done for you, tried his best to shield you guys." Izzy glanced back down at her hands, thinking that over. There was no denying the respect that Adriano had for him; it was evident and clear as day. And she couldn't blame him, really. Carlo wasn't a bad man, given his world and his job. He was decent and caring, but for her, at the times she wanted him the most, he wasn't around.

"Do my step-siblings know about me?" He chuckled and her eyes lifted to him, a brow raised in question.

"They know. Your two youngest siblings are very excited to me you."

"But?"

"Your oldest sister, Sara, wants nothing to do with you. She is the exact opposite of you, in every way," he told her.

"Beautiful, thin, obedient, not sassy," she offered and he chuckled again.

"To some degree. She's also snooty, tends to be stuck up, and can be arrogant."

"Oh, that's all?" Izzy asked as she laughed at her own joke before looking up around the house.

"I know we got off on a very rocky start, Adriano, and I'm sorry my dad made you my babysitter for the moment..." He raised his hand to cut her off.

"I'm not surprised he did. As much as it troubles me because I have a job to do as well and am not entirely sure how to do it, I don't think I would have liked him to have asked anyone else. I know you find it odd, but to Carlo, you are quite the prized possession. So for him to ask me to watch over it, it's an honor, even if I don't agree that you are." She rolled her eyes at that and he chuckled again. She could admit, though, that it was nice having him around. She didn't quite like him, but she felt safe around him, there was no denying that.

"I guess I better get to bed, I'm sure tomorrow will be joyous." She stood up but his words stopped her.

"I still don't think you'll be at that house for long. And if Carlo has you go over, it really is to meet them, and that's it." She nodded and walked to the doorway before stopping and glancing back at him.

"It's none of my business, but I hate to cause problems with anyone, do you have a girlfriend that's going to get mad I'm here or something." He stood up and walked over to her, a smile tugging at his lips.

"Not a girlfriend, but a fiancé. And come tomorrow, she might understand the whole situation a lot better and won't cause any more fights." With that, he walked away, leaving Izzy there alone and confused. She didn't get why tomorrow things would clear up. She shrugged and walked back to her room and climbed into bed. And as she got comfortable, it hit her; Adriano was engaged to Sara, who had to be in her early 20s. Oh great, tomorrow was going to be loads of fucking fun.

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Izzy sat in the car as it made its way down the driveway and stopped a ways from the front door and behind a few other cars. It was evident there were other people here besides the family and that made her nervous. All morning long, she had to deal with the idea of meeting some step-family that she didn't want nor did she care for. And she thought about how she had seen Sara from afar and at that moment, when she was still a pre-teen, she hated her. The feelings hadn't dwindled over the many years it seemed either.

"You okay?" Izzy shook her head, her gaze still locked on the front door. "You've been abnormally quiet all morning long." Her dad still lived in the same house that she saw when she was 11. She could admire the work on it, but it still was a knife to her gut. "Ignazia?"

"Sorry Adriano, los recuerdos volvieron (memories came back). I'll be okay." She told him in Spanish. She could feel his stare but she wasn't about to explain.

"¿Recuerdos? ¿De aquí? (Memories? Of here?) You've never been to New York." No, she had, but she wasn't about to get into it or what happened that night. She shook her head to shut him up and then opened the door and climbed out. She didn't want to see this family but she didn't want to talk about that night, even more, a night that not too many people knew about. He caught her by the arm before she was able to take a few steps and turned her around, his eyes locking on hers. "What memories?"

"It doesn't matter, huh? Can we please go in?" His eyes narrowed, wanting to solve the mystery but she wasn't about to give in. She turned her head as someone called out her name; a little girl about 12 years old with dark bouncing curls, the deepest brown eyes, and a huge Texas-size smile on her face.

"Ignazia, you're here!" She bounded out of the house, Carlo hot on her heels. "I couldn't wait to meet you, come in! Stop talking to boring Adriano!" With that, the little girl grabbed Ignazia's arm and tugged her along.

"Don't mind Sienna, she's been looking forward to meeting you," Carlo told her as she passed by him.

"Oh, that's....different." She wasn't sure what to say that. She wasn't excited to be meeting any of them, but it seemed like this pre-teen was different than her.

"Come on, the whole family is here. Mom is looking forward to chatting with you too," Sienna said, pulling Ignazia even more. Deep down, Izzy feared that was far from the truth; after all, would you really be happy to meet the child of the woman that your husband loved so much? "Mama, Ignazia is here." Izzy tried to smile at the woman as she walked over and held out her hand.

"I'm Marina, and I'm so sorry about your loss," the older woman said and Izzy smiled than. She saw no hatred or contempt in the woman's eyes and nodded.

"Thank you."

"I know it's rough circumstances that brought you here Ignazia, but I hope you do feel comfortable enough around us to want to stay," Mariana told her. Izzy wanted to respond to that, but she had no clue how because she didn't want to hurt the woman's feelings.

"Oh, yay, look at what the cat dragged in, the long-lost stray that's set my world into the biggest spin ever." Izzy turned around. But she didn't need to know who said that because she would have known that high-pitched voice anywhere. Izzy looked over at the thin woman who stood with her arms crossed, the hatred bright in her eyes.

"If it isn't my step-sister, Sara," Izzy stated, her tone sounding bored.