Repercussions

Twenty-Nine

Livia Ximena Di Vittorio

"What's the issue, Vezio?" I ask one of my father's men, walking quickly to match his pace. Ricardo stayed silent on the other side of me. He knew this wasn't his business, but would be here if I needed any help.

I was both troubled and wary because Vezio came to me instead of my dad. He was one of the men who reported to my father and not to me. I had my men who would have come to me if there was an issue like my dad had his.

"I'm sorry to interrupt your evening, Capa." He strings a sentence together. He was put together, but I could tell he was nervous coming to me. "I thought you might be better suited to handle this..."

I frown, unsure of what he was trying to imply. "What is it, Vezio?" I repeat, trying not to let my irritation show with the man.

"Miss Allegra had a run-in with someone." I panic slightly, but it wasn't shown on my face. It slipped my mind that Vezio was one of the men protecting Allegra tonight. I didn't assign the guards, that was done by my uncle Massimo, who managed security for the family.

Don't show your emotions, not here. It isn't safe to.

"Is my sister okay, Vezio?" The threat was apparent in my tone. If my sister had gotten even a scratch on her while under the watch of these men, then they would have hell to pay.

"She isn't hurt, Capa." Vezio tries to reassure me, the nervousness of my threat clearly showing. I needed to tell my father that the men needed more training when dealing with pressure. "But she is upset."

My father was a shoot-first-ask-questions-later kind of person, and most of the time I was too. But when it came to Allegra, I always had to make sure I had the situation straight before I did anything. She was dramatic when she wanted to be and that often led me to do irrational things to the people who hurt her, things that I probably should regret.

We approach the bathroom, and both men hang back. Ricardo leans against the wall outside of the bathroom and pulls out his phone. "I'll make sure no one comes in, cugina." Cousin.

I barely have time to thank him before I'm knocking quickly on the bathroom door, calling out to my sister. She answers me and I open the door to see what was making her upset. My face falls but my heart rate slows as I take her in, her previously pink gown now stained with a red liquid. My first guess would be wine and thankfully not blood knowing Allegra.

Accidents like this weren't quickly forgotten in high society, especially not when many of the girls Allegra went to school with were in attendance.

"Allie?" I ask cautiously. "What happened, sorellina?" little sister

She sighs, blowing back the few dark strands of hair that had fallen into her face. I took my phone out and asked one of the women I have working for me to get a replacement dress. The stain was far too big to be quickly fixed.

"Some stupid server bumped into me while I was dancing and spilt his tray on me," Allegra whines, her mouth formed in a pout. I was less worried now knowing she wasn't hurt but simply annoyed at the situation. "And I was dancing with Dacio to make matters worse.

"Are you sure you never bumped into him, miss two-left-feet?" I tease and it gets a smile on her face. "And boys your age are useless, trust me I know all about it."

I sit in front of her and brush back her hair. She was at the age where all she cared about were the boys at her school and what the girls thought of her. Even though I had never cared about what others thought of me, I went through the boy-obsessed phase, one that led to my first and only boyfriend, who I broke up with shortly after my eighteenth birthday. One of my mistakes was starting a relationship when all I wanted was the novelty of it. It wore off quickly, but I didn't end things as fast as I should have. I was worried Allegra was going to go through the same things I did, but it wasn't my place to do more than give her a little advice. It was her life and not mine.

"I didn't trip this time. And I know boys are idiots, but I do like this one," she tells me, the exhaustion and annoyance clear on her face. "I was far from the server. He seemed to target me or something. I don't know why. But thank you for coming, Livy."

"I'll always come when you ask me to," I promised my sister. I move closer to her, looking at the damage to the stain. Something catches my attention. "Were you upstairs or downstairs?"

"Upstairs." She says a bit defensively. We asked her and Luca to stay upstairs where all the old money families sat, people I've known all my life. No one from the circle would touch them. They all knew full well what my father, and I did for a living. New money though were cocky and simply idiots, so we didn't trust them. Not with my brother and sister. "You always tell us to stay upstairs."

"I'm not accusing you of anything, all," I reassured her, but kept my eyes on the stain. "It's just this stain is redder, the wine they served downstairs. The one upstairs was more purplish. Which server was this?"

Again, all servers upstairs were heavily vetoed, everyone up there had many people who wanted them dead. The servers worked for years and no one was allowed without an invitation. Allegra would at least recognise most of them. There was also no reason for a server with the wine they were carrying downstairs to be roaming up with us. We all had acquired tastes that didn't match up with the people in attendance downstairs.

"I don't know." She mumbles, confirming my thought process. A knock at the door sounds and I go answer it. I take the new dress from one of my soldiers and pass it to Allegra.

"Can you do me a favour, Allie?" She nods, looking up at me. "Go to the car with Vezio and Amanda. Luciano will be there soon."

"We're going home?" She whines a bit but doesn't complain. She knows I always have their best interests at heart and there isn't anything I wouldn't do for my siblings. "Love you Liv, thank you for helping me even though I know you were busy."

"I'm always here, Allegra. You know that." I cup her chin and press a light kiss on her forehead. "Hurry and get out of here, please."

"Is there something going on?"

"I don't know. But..." I couldn't even finish my sentence before I heard gunshots. Gunshots that should not have gone off, not here. I move quickly outside, I motion to Vezio to get Allegra out of here and start towards the ballroom. Ricardo falls into step with me, the two of us with guns in our hands and bodies ready for whatever is to come.

Something was going down, and I needed to make sure my family was okay.

Happy Sunday, just a short chapter before we start with some action. I hope you like it.

Any ideas on what's happening, predictions or even just what you want to happen?

Please vote and comment and I will see you next week, happy reading.

Ara <3