The Heiress

Grace sighed as she sat at the table after finishing breakfast. "I can't keep sitting around doing nothing..." She looked across the table at Zain, who was busy on his phone.

"Why don't you relax for now?" Mary suggested as she took her plate.

"How about we go for a run? I didn't get one in today."

"You go for a run every day?" Zain glanced up at her.

"Yes, even in the snow." Although, when it's knee high, it's hard to call it running anymore. "If I don't, I get antsy." And I need it to stay in my current shape.

"Excuse me." Ran showed up beside Zain.

"What is it?" Zain asked.

"Actually... Miss Grace has a visitor."

"Just Grace is fine," she said. "And a visitor? Here?" I'm guessing one of two people. "Can I...?" Sucks having to ask when I supposedly live here.

Zain sighed as he got up and grabbed his suit jacket off the back of the chair. "Let's go see who it is, and we'll decide from there how to proceed."

Grace followed him along to the foyer. Standing at the entrance, she could see the jacket hanging off his shoulders as he looked up at the portrait above the entranceway.

I never noticed it before, but is that... my parents?

Vincent turned around and gave her a soft smile as he held a single red rose out towards her. "Great to see you again, Grace. I hope you're doing well today."

"Thank you." She took the rose and couldn't help but smile as she looked at it.

"I came to see if you had some spare time for a date this morning."

"I'm not even sure if I'm allowed to go." Grace turned to Zain with a raised eyebrow.

"Why don't you two go for a run? That's what you were complaining you wanted to do." Zain smirked.

"A run? Not quite what I had in mind, but if that's what you want to do, we could have a run with a destination. A cafe nearby, for instance," Vincent suggested. His family ran the area right next to the Bertolottiss, and he had been in the area a number of times while working with them, so he knew about the area.

Zain thought for a moment as the two of them looked at him for answers. "I'd have to talk to the boss first."

"I thought he left you in charge of me because he was too busy." Grace crossed her arms and stuck her chin up as she squared her shoulders. "It's up to your discretion, right?"

Zain's expression dropped. "You're insufferable sometimes."

He won't want to say too much in front of Vincent.

"I can protect Grace, if that's what you're worried about," Vincent said, resting his hand on her shoulder.

"Whether it comes as a surprise or not, she's proven she can protect herself. That's not what this is about."

To trust me or not, it seems. I have no intention of running right now.

"You could always run with us," Grace suggested.

"Ugh, again... You really did do this every day, so I guess I can't blame you for wanting to continue with something normal. The family owes a cafe nearby; we should use that one."

A cafe run by the mafia?

"Go get changed for your run." He waved her off.

Grace leaned in close to Vincent and smiled. "Thank you," she whispered and rushed off with Ran nearby, keeping an eye on her.

"Are you sure you can run in that?" Zain asked, looking at Vincent's suit.

"I'll be quite alright; you don't have to worry about me. Will you be okay?"

"I can run in this—"

"That's not what I'm talking about. It is a curious thing to be a marriage candidate, and yet you're her... keeper? That's a bit of a conflict of interest, though you seem to handle it well. I suppose it's hard to be the underboss here. What do you plan to do if someone other than you is chosen?"

"Are you saying I won't have this position anymore?"

"I don't know what Floyd would do, but your interest in her makes it hard to want you that close."

"I'm not going to bother a taken woman."

"People are rarely rational when it comes to love and romance. Are you sure you'd be able to resist when you're beside her every day? It's food for thought, Z, not a threat."

"What are you two talking about?" Grace ran back in her active wear.

Vincent set his jacket and hat to the side. "Lead the way, Zain."

"Yeah, yeah." Zain held the door open for them and gave Ran a look before closing the door.

I'll finally be let outside! And I'll can find out where we are. Kinda sad I still don't know the location of the estate.

Grace took a deep breath of fresh air as they headed to the gate and resisted the urge to spin around with her arms spread out.

Zain got them to open the gate as they did some stretches. "Let's go, and yell if you're not keeping up." Zain got a nod from both of them and took off.

Running around with two gangsters. Grace held back a laugh. Once they finally made it to a public street, Grace looked around, trying to absorb as much information about their surroundings as possible.

"Careful." Vincent tugged her over a few inches before she could run into a garbage can.

"Oops... Ha..." Red crept up on her cheeks.

"Here." He held his hand out to her. "I'll make sure you're safe as we go."

"Holding hands slows us down, though."

"Better that than you running into something." Instead of asking again, Vincent took her hand and pulled her a bit closer.

"If you're talking that much, we're not going fast enough. Let's pick up the pace, slackers," Zain yelled at them and sped up.

I've been around here before, but it's not a part of my normal patrol area. She recognized some of the stores they ran by and slowed down, but Vincent tugged on her to keep the pace.

"As tempting as it is to make a detour away from Zain, I don't think it's a good idea. If there's somewhere you'd like to go, we can try a different day."

"You're right." Grace nodded. Still not sure I can break Roger out, but I should be able to memorize this and make a map for him. Gosh, I miss my phone.

It took a while, but Zain stopped outside a cafe and gritted his teeth as he tried to hide how out of breath he was.

"Here it is." Zain slowed his breathing and waved his hand towards it.

Grace's jaw hung open when she saw it. The cutesy lettering with cartoon cats on both sides of the sign. "This is... one of ours?"

Zain laughed at her expression. "Yes, it is. What did you expect? Guns and thugs everywhere?"

"More like something dark and sophisticated."

"We have one like that, but I don't think we want to run that far. Besides, I think this one suits you better." He ruffled her hair and headed inside.

"Hey! Don't do that!" She grumbled and tried to fix her hair.

"Here, let me." Vincent gently combed her hair back into place. "You know, I thought you two met recently, but you seem close already."

"Thanks. And I don't know about that. I don't think we're close; he just likes to annoy me." Grace rolled her eyes as she sighed. "Come on." She tugged him along, and he smiled.

Grace froze when she saw the inside. The waiters and waitresses had maid and butler costumes on, along with cat ears. "What in the world?"

"Welcome! A table for three?" The woman at the front desk asked and then noticed Zain. Her eyes trailed over to Grace, and they widened. "Miss Bertolottis! Welcome!"

"Uh... Thanks."

"You're being recognized as one of them now," Vincent whispered. "The boss' granddaughter is a big deal in a family."

"I'm Kali. Nya!" The woman made a cute pawing motion. "I'll show you to your seat." She led them over to a free spot in the private area of the cafe. "Everything here is on the house for you. A waiter will be over in a moment. I hope you enjoy." She made another pawing motion and headed back.

"I... don't even know what to think of this place." She sat down in the booth, and Vincent scooched in beside her.

"I think it's cute," Vincent said. "Although it's different from the other places I know that are linked with the Bertolottiss."

"How did they end up with it? Was it just profitable so you guys... get protection money or something from them?" Grace asked.

"No; the boss bought out this old place probably two decades ago and rebuilt it from the ground up," Zain said as he looked at the menu.

"Why would he make something like this? Not that I don't like it."

"He made it for you."

"What are you talking about?"

"Do you remember when you were ten, and you went out for Halloween as a maid with cat ears that you saw on some cartoon?"

Grace's jaw dropped. "How do you know about that?" I'd completely forgotten about it...

"As I've said before, your grandfather knows more about you than you think, and he's shared quite a bit with me."

"How long have you been with the Bertolottiss?"

"Since I was a kid. The boss has treated me like his own since I got here, which includes gushing to me about the granddaughter he wished he could be with. He was planning on inviting you and your parents over after this was finished, but the accident happened."

While they were talking, Vincent had ordered something for each of them. He sat there, his arm resting on the back of the booth seat behind Grace as he sipped on his drink and listened to them talk.

"So he was planning on coming into my life back then?" Grace sighed and leaned back as she looked around. I would've loved to come here. Grace's eyes met Vincent's, and he smiled at her. "Oh! I'm sorry... You meant this to be a date of sorts, right?"

"Yes, but it's alright. I'm getting to learn more." He brushed her hair behind her ear. "And see some interesting expressions."

Grace touched her face, wondering what expression she had made.

The waitress came over with three different desserts and coffees. She looked at each of them with a raised eyebrow. Vincent tapped the table. "We'll figure out who gets what now."

"Sir." She set everything down.

"Thank you."

"When did you even order?" Grace mumbled as she looked at the plates. "Oh, they all look good."

"Maybe you should quit drooling and pick one," Zain said as he grabbed a drink at random.

"I'm not drooling." Grace puffed out her cheeks and pulled over a slice of apple cheesecake. "Mmm... This is so good. Great choice." She gave a thumbs up and kept eating.

"I guess you like dessert. Want to try some of mine?" Vincent held up a piece of his berry crumble with his fork.

"Oh, that does look good, but—"

"Don't be shy. I like a woman with a hearty appetite, and who I can woo with a good dessert." He winked at her and brought the fork closer.

"Uh..." She eyed the dessert. "If you insist." She bit down on his fork and backed away, a blush forming on her cheeks. "That one's good, too!" Wish I knew about this place before. Totally want to try everything on the menu.

"Don't look for some of mine; it's gone." Zain laughed, sitting back with an empty plate in front of him.

Shouldn't he have sat somewhere else if this was supposed to be a date?

"I wasn't going to ask you for any." She rolled her eyes. Weird, sitting here with these two men like this doesn't feel super weird. "So, Vincent, are you used to running? We made it here, and it didn't seem like you were out of breath or even broke a sweat."

"I keep myself in top shape, mostly through practicing martial arts, but I do keep running in the regular regime."

"Oh, I see. I guess it makes sense, then." She got down to her last bite of cheesecake and bit her lip as she glanced over at Vincent. "Um... Would you..." she trailed off, staring at the piece on her fork. Ugh, I can't offer it! Her face burned at just the thought. How in the world do people manage things like that?

While she was lost in thought, Vincent took her wrist to bring her hand closer and leaned in to eat the last bite. "Mmm, yeah, it is good. Thanks." He winked at her and licked his lips.

"Ah-ha... I have to use the bathroom."

"Sure thing, cara mia." Vincent got up to let her pass by.

"Thanks." Cara mia? What's that mean? I may be half Italian, but I know pretty much zero of the language! She rushed to the back, where the bathrooms were. "Ha..." This is too intense. She looked at herself in the mirror and jumped back. Geez... This looks bad even for me. She combed her fingers through her hair and redid her ponytail. I'm glad I didn't have makeup on; would've melted off.

Grace used the bathroom, washed up a bit, and took a deep breath before heading out.

"Umph!" Grace's mouth was covered as someone grabbed her from behind. No, you don't! She drove her elbow into their abdomen, grabbed their arm, and flipped them over her shoulder. They hit a plate decoration on the wall and it smashed as it hit the ground.

"What are you doing?!"

"Grab her!"

"What's going on?!" Zain and Vincent came running over when they heard the plate smash.

Another man grabbed Grace. This time they pinioned her arms to try to trap her.

"I've got her. Let's go— Ah!" they screamed out in pain as she swung her head back and cracked them in the nose. Their grip loosened, and she shoved them away.

Bang!

A bullet whizzed by her and hit another man behind her, who had pulled out a gun. He hit the ground, lifeless, as blood oozed out of his chest.

"Geez." Grace jumped back and stepped on the foot of the man who grabbed her.

He yelped, but still tried to grab her again as the first one got to their feet.

"Unless you want to end up like your friend, you'll scurry away back to the hellhole you came from," Vincent said, a gun aimed at the first one.

"Tch..." They inched away and grabbed the other man before they both bolted.

"Ha..." Grace sighed and leant against the wall. She caught a glimpse of the dead man out of the corner of her eye and cringed as she looked away.

"Are you alright, cara mia?" Vincent asked, handing the gun back to Zain. He had taken it from him before he even had a chance to react when they were rushing over.

"I'll be fine; just a little... Ugh..." She tried to shake out her nerves and leaned over, her stomach feeling sick. Being attacked again, so close in time, it felt worse than when she was a cop. "Is this a daily occurrence for you two?"

"No," they both said in unison.

"It's obvious you're being targeted," Zain said. "This is why he wanted you to stay inside. He's going to kill me."

"That's only if we tell him," Grace said. If he knows, he'll be more likely to lock me up like a princess.

"I have to tell him."

"The only thing we have to worry about is the body." Grace pointed over at it, making sure not to look. She'd seen dead bodies before, and even had to shoot people, but that didn't mean she liked to deal with the aftermath.

"The body is easy enough to deal with." Vincent pulled out his phone to contact his cleaners.

"Grace, I can't keep this from the boss." Zain stood in front of her and dropped a hand on her shoulder. "You were almost taken, and we don't know what they would've had in store for you."

"In case you still haven't noticed, I do quite well with handling myself."

"And what about the guy with the gun? How would you have dealt with him?"

"It's hard to say how that would've gone, but you know I'm good at disarming, too."

"At that distance? You don't have your gun on you to use it."

"I know, but he would've been closer at some point."

"Face it; you're better off not being on your own right now."

Grace's expression dropped. "And whose fault is that?" She swatted his hand away as she pushed off the wall and headed back to their booth.

A couple of men in masks walked into the cafe and went straight to the back.

"That was fast." No wonder the cops have trouble with the mafia; they're more organized than we are, and they have better resources.

"Of course," Vincent said as he slid in beside her. "We're run quite well."

"You're also a good shot and didn't hesitate to kill..." Grace bit her lip.

"It was you or them, cara mia." Vincent brushed her hair bangs back over her ear, hoping she'd turn his way.

"Hate to break it to you, but she doesn't seem to like killing or maiming people, even if they're after her," Zain said, remembering the first incident.

"That's too bad; in our line of work, it's bound to happen. I can try my best to keep it from you, but as you've seen, it'll be hard to do."

"I bet it's hard for a sharpshooter like you. I know we weren't at a distance, but you couldn't have done more of a perfect shot." Zain tapped his chest over his heart. "Terrifyingly good."

"I've had my share of practice. From what I hear, you'd a good shot, too, cara mia." He tilted his head as he gazed at her.

"Best in the department, or at least I was..." Her shoulders slouched.

"You do love to be a cop, don't you?"

"Of course; I love helping people. I love making the city safer. I love giving people justice."

"All things you can still do in the mafia, with fewer rules to abide by."

"You mean by breaking the law I tried so hard to keep?" Grace's brows knitted together. "I still don't know what to do."

"At least it feels like you've come to terms with your situation," Zain said. "Once you were brought here into this world, there was no going back."

"Coming to terms with it doesn't help anything, though. I'm trapped here, and I'm going to be forced to marry someone so he can pass on his title to a Bertolottis."

"At least he's giving you a couple of options."

Grace rolled her eyes. "It's only been a few days, and I'm wondering if I'll go insane being kept inside, especially after today. You're set on telling him, but that only means he'll probably try to keep me inside more—"

"You've only been here a few days—"

"And I'm used to going out; I'm used to doing something every day. I'm used to having my freedom."

"You're a cop; how free can you be?"

"I don't have someone following me and keeping tabs on my every move."

"I beg to differ. He's kept an eye on you for so long. Besides, what about Roger? He follows you like he's your pet dog."

"Who's Roger?" Vincent asked, finally speaking up.

"Uh..."

"My partner," Grace answered automatically.

"Partner?"

"As in my cop partner."

"Oh, I see." Vincent's eyes narrowed. "And you two are still in contact?" His voice lowered.

A chill ran down her spine. "Sorta." Did I just put him in danger? "We don't really get to talk much."

Zain smirked at her as if to say 'told you'.

Don't be a pushover, Grace! "Is that a problem?" She turned to Vincent, and he already had his intense gaze fixed on her.

"It might be. Having another man so close to you, who knows you in ways I don't, could instill doubt. And I'm not the biggest on sharing." Vincent sighed. He didn't want to scare her away, but he knew he wouldn't do well with another man hanging around her too much. He took a deep breath and looked away. "I'm sorry about that. I hope I didn't scare you."

"Takes more than that to scare me." Can't say it wasn't a bit worrying, though.

"So it seems. Although, sometimes you look like a scared kitten, other times a ferocious tiger. Two sides of you, I suppose."

One of Vincent's cleaners approached him and whispered into his ear before scurrying off with the others, leaving the place spick and span.

"Hmph..."

"What is it? Assuming you care to share?" Zain asked.

"We know who's after the princess."

Zain sat straight up. The person they had caught and tortured turned out to be a hired hand and wasn't useful in finding out who was behind it. "Do tell."

"The Marini family."