9. A better bodyguard...
"What exactly happened?" he finally asked as they all sat down to discuss the matter. His trembling had finally stopped, and he had regained his composure. Now he was ready to listen, and find out who would dare shoot at his Piccola.
"I'm not really sure, I just went shopping as usual, and on coming out of the mall, these men came out." she explains. "I think four, or five, or maybe more I don't know. I just know that they came out, and started shooting at me." she simply says.
"And your guards? Where were they?" he instantly asks.
"You know I don't like taking them around, I can take care of myself, so I ditched them."
"MY LORD! LUNA!!!" He bolted up from his seat angrily, clear fumes coming from the center of his head. Even her father wasn't this angry. "You are not five years old any longer, do we still need to educate you on the importance of taking your guards everywhere you go? Why the hell will you go anywhere without your guards.?" She flinched at his anger.
"I'm not a child, so I don't need bodyguards all the time." she yelled back angrily.
"Would you listen to yourself? You're not a child? But you keep on behaving like one." He retorted. "And what? You can take care of yourself? Well good for you, you almost died today." He lifted his hands up in the air and dropped them loudly on the chair in front of him.
"But I came out without even a single scratch, so why the hell are you acting like I died?
"Because you could have died!!!" He Roared, and everyone in the room felt the pain in those words. They felt the anger and pain the words carried, they could see him tread down memory lane, painful memories.
"You could have f*cking died!!" He repeated, trying his best to keep his calm. "Luna, do we have to lecture you on the fact that your father is one of the presidential candidates for the upcoming elections? Or the fact that he's also one of the major godfathers of the underworld? And not only that, everyone in Italy knows that you know me, I've got my own enemies too as the president of my company, and also some who figured out my identity as the Mafia boss. You know how many people would claw at you once they get the chance huh? A lot of enemies out there would give millions to hurt the daughter of Edoardo DeFalco . And those who know me as the Mafia boss would pay even double the price to hurt someone who is like a sister to me." It was like he was explaining to a little child why too much sugar was bad for the body.
"I'm not your sister." Out of everything he said, that was the only part she got. She knew he was just concerned for her, and she could tell he got scared, but she just couldn't help fighting. She wanted to do everything with him, but being his sister was not one of them. In fact she wanted to do things that sisters wouldn't do to their brothers with him. So she hated him seeing her as a little sister more than anything.
"Is that all you have to say? What the hell is wrong with you Luna?!!" He raged.
"I could ask you that same question." she defiantly replied back. All she knew how to do was run that Savage mouth of hers without thinking. One of these days, he'd personally teach her to bridle that hateful sword that she calls tongue.
"You little…"
"Okay, that's enough now." Edoardo finally enters the conversation. "And I mean the two of you." He points at Zeno, signaling him to stop pacing like a warrior on rampage and sit down. Grumpily, he adheres to the man's words and sits back in his chair. His eyes still glaring at her tiny figure on the bed. And she returned his glare with a much more defying gaze.
"Zeno is right, Luna." Edoardo says, and Zeno looked at the man with eyes that clearly stated 'thank you' in a defeated look. "The elections are getting closer, and if something were to happen to you, it is definite that I will quit being a candidate for the presidency. So that's more than enough reason for any of the other candidates to want to harm you." He explains, and she hated the fact that Zeno was right.
"You need protection. But you're as stubborn as a mule, I know you keep on ditching your bodyguards and running off to places on your own. And it would take a whole day before they can locate you again. And within that period, something drastic could have happened to you."
"Nothing is going to happen to me, papa. I can take care of myself."
"I was still talking, Luna." He snaps at her, and she grudgingly punches into the pillow on her lap. She hated the look on Zeno's face at that moment. That look of him being right.
"Now, I can't lock you up inside this house till the end of the elections. And we're not even certain yet if it was one of the electoral candidates. It could have also been one of my other enemies like Zeno had said. So I've made my decision."
"What? You would tie a guard to my body? Or glue one to me?" she rudely asks.
"You should learn to shut that mouth of yours sometimes." Zeno snaps at her insolent behavior. "I wasn't…
" LUNA!!" Edoardo's voice echoed in the place, and she zipped her lips at once, eyeing Zeno wickedly for he was the reason she was being shouted at.
"I got you a better bodyguard. I won't have to glue him to your body, but at the same time, it'll be like he's glued to you because wherever you may be, he will be there. You won't be able to run from this new guard. Even if you do, he would find you in seconds."
"Who did you bring? Sherlock Holmes?" she hissed underneath her breath.
"No, Sherlock wasn't even a guard. He was a detective. But I brought someone better. Someone who I know and trust to keep you in check at all times. And to protect you, I've decided, you'll be safer with… Zee... I want you to move in with Zee."