You Inherit Money, I Inherit Guns

"Ow! Principessa, you're hurting me!" shouted Antonio.

"Quiet! I need to show Sovrano this." I pulled him down the hallway and into the lift. I jammed the down buzzer many times. "C'mon, c'mon, come ON!" The elevator finally got note of it and slowly started going down to the main level.

Once those doors freed, I shoved them apart and waited for the bars to slide away. I crawled under the damned things, still clutching hard to Antonio's wrist. I let go of him so I could run to the door where a cousin, otherwise known as a soldier, stood waiting to open the door.

"Principessa? Little brother...?" I realized what he could do for me.

"Sound the alarm. Make the men come to an impromptu meeting. We are in grave pericolo," I said breathlessly. He nodded and ran out of my sight.

I sprinted out the door, Antonio in tow. Tobias stood outside of the limo to open the door for me. "Principessa, you're not even dressed." He smiled.

"Never mind that. Get father and anyone else who is in there inside. Sebastian is driving, si? Get him too. We need an emeregency meeting, A-S-A-P!"

"And why do you request this?" I glared and could feel my lips upturn into a snarl, rage rumbling in my throat.

"Feast your eyes on this." I tugged back Antonio's sleeve to show him the burn. Tobias turned pale. His body language turned from casuality to... fear. My uncle, Tobias, one who has seen everything unimaginable, was afraid. I could physically feel his body tempature drop.

"Get inside. Go to the sala conferenze. Bring the vittima ragazzo, too. Be veloce! Mi capisci? MI CAPISCI?!" I nodded and ran with Anthony to the door. Tobias never used Italian unless he was addressing my title or very irate. Turns out, it also happened when he was scared, possibly for his life.

XXXXXXX

“Violetta, there better be a good reason why you summoned this meeting,” father said. He moved his hand as if he were playing the piano.

“There is,” I gestured Antonio towards me “and he has the proof.”

“Just because he’s been abused--it’s NOT that,” I interrupted the soldier that dared to challenge me, “it’s who did it that worries me.” The soldier leaned back into his chair, shaking his head. I showed the boy's arm to everyone in the room. Father and Tobias straightened in their seats, lifting their chins up, then lowering them again.

“Mio padres, it’s clear that we are in grave danger. We must set up a defense mechanism if the Peers of the Realm are in business again.” The more experienced nodded in agreement, while the newly acclaimed soldiers sat stock still.

“I couldn’t agree more,” said Tobias.

“We need to come up with a plan to blast these scuse per gli uomini poveri to Inferno and back. I--Silenzio!” interrupted my father.

“I will be making plans. You will wait for my orders. I cannot lose my heiress in a war that will involve all of New York City to fight in. You will go to special outings under close watch. You will be able to train Logan during the day, under close, heavy guard. Do you understand my scopo for this?"

I glared at him. "Scantily."

"But wait," pipped Logan from the back of the room. Everyone turned to stare at him. I nodded at him in approval. "Wouldn't overprotecting her make it a little bit obvious that she's, you know, important?"

"How so?" inquired my father. "We have the best ways to hide in plain sight."

"I kinda understand that, but these guys, the Overseers of the Land--"Peers of the Realm," interrupted my dad"--whatever, strike me as the smartest and the best. If they found a way of hurting a little boy in front of you, don't you think they'll find out that she's a big deal around here? Being an heiress and all?" I smiled, though it was a horrid strain on my facial muscles. Logan began to quake in terror.

"I think he's right," called a soldier. Logan calmed down a little bit, but you could still see the beat of his heart through his shirt. (Note: This IS entirely possible.) My father turned to the man that spoke. I recognized him as a cousin that I didn't talk to much.

"Go on," growled my father.

"Well, he's right because the Peers are like Celtic versions of Sherlock Holmes. They notice anything and everything. One little mistake could thwart an entire operation. A girl being followed by a couple dozens of men would be noticed by them. The Peers have eyes and ears all over the place. I don't think she'll be safe at all."

My father considered this for what seemed like an eternity before saying "You're right, both of you. Violetta will have to stay here in the Trinity Warehouse until this matter is settled. Dismissed."