Chapter Thirteen
Ace crossed his huge arms over his chest and informed him, “Yeah, I married Charli and we have a son together.”
Ray licked his dry lips and swallowed hard. “Sot that makes you family. You have to help me. We’re family and that means you owe me.”
Ace looked at Ray then glanced over at his brothers. All of them burst into laughter.
Finally, Ace wiped at his eyes after catching his breath for the laughter and then glared at Ray.
“First, you tell me my marriage isn’t legal according to your laws, then you demand I protect you against treason charges?
You are absolutely insane. I owe you and the rest of Charli’s family nothing, except maybe contempt.
When they left here fourteen years ago, you stayed behind to start up a business you knew damn well was illegal.
You took the money the family sent back for her upkeep.
You then used it on your compound and the business of the thousands of guns you brokered to our enemies.
Then today, you come after Charli to kill her.
In order to stop her from telling the family what you’ve been up to all these years.
” He scoffed loudly. “No, I’m not part of your family and I don’t want to be if treating Charli the way her family did is expected.
Her family abandoned her after her father and mother were murdered.
We now know that a treaty with the other family had already been worked out.
The feud between them was over. No one had to die that day except for a few that never wanted peace. ”
Ray shook his head in denial of it all it seemed.
“Oh yes, this all happened.” Ace went on, “Then when Jullian took over, he never even tried to keep Charli with the family. He pushed her off onto her mother’s parents and left her here.
Your family left the states like thieves in the night.
They didn’t even tell her they were leaving for Italy.
With no word at all. Then Mario comes here to tell her she needs to return to Italy with him because she is supposed to marry a stranger.
Well too damn bad, as we are already married and we have a son.
Now the whole family is in an uproar about something they can’t control and it’s too fucking late. ”
Ray had no reply as he kept shaking his head.
“And you want me to help you?” Ace snorted. “We won’t even help your brother with his issues of her marrying some douchebag. Let alone help you. Someone with no honor. A someone who came here to gun down my wife. Nah...FUCK YOU, dumbass.”
“Besides, we have Shay on his way to get you to jail.” Deuce smiled. “A place where you will spend the rest of your fucking life. A place you’ve earned for your crimes.”
Ray sat there and shuddered. Then he looked up and asked, “When is Jullian going to be here?”
Ace shrugged. “Not sure but soon.”
Ray cocked his head and stared at them. “Is he bringing anyone with him?”
Ace nodded. “Yeah, he said he’s bringing the Council with him. Does it matter who he’s bringing?”
Ray paled then nodded slowly. “Yeah, it matters. If he’s bringing the Council with him, then they will judge me.
They will condemn me to death for breaking Gypsy rules, and they will finish me off.
” He scoffed. “All under the rules, you know? They will be able to say they killed me under our own laws. Either way, I’ll still be dead and your Shay won’t get his pat on the back. ”
Ace narrowed his eyes and snapped, “The hell you say. No one can just come here and kill anyone. Sorry, but there are US laws against that kind of thing. You need to be judged and sentenced by US law. Then we use lethal injection usually. So, no. This is not your supposed Council’s arena here, man. ”
Ray snorted. “Oh, I’ll be judged all right, by the Council and by Gypsy law, not your laws. You can’t stop it and I think after all these years I’ll be grateful for the knife in my heart. At least it will be over quick and I won’t suffer too long.”
Ace looked at his brothers and then back at Ray. “We aren’t going to let that happen, you deserve to go to jail at the very least.”
Ray looked up at him and shook his head.
“You don’t understand, they will claim your laws don’t have priority here, they will claim that Gypsy laws extend over me because I was born under Gypsy law.
They will demand whatever evidence you have to prove my guilt then they will use that against me in their own courts.
Then they will condemn me under traditional laws the Gypsy’s recognize and I’ll be dead before Shay even gets here. ”
“And if Shay gets here first?” Jack wanted to know.
Ray shrugged. “It won’t matter, not to the Council. I am still under their laws as a member of my tribe. I earned that status when I reached my majority.”
“Nah, this is America man,” Deuce argued. “They and you are delusional as fuck. They have no jurisdiction here.”
“He’s right.” Ace nodded. “People can’t just come to America and bring their laws then carry out sentences.
That’s preposterous. Are you an idiot? Or are they idiots?
I think so. Sorry, asshole but this isn’t Europe.
Here, you will stand before a judge and I want to watch them slam that iron door behind you and throw away the fucking key. ”
Ray shook his head. “You don’t understand something here.
If the Council condemns me it won’t matter where I go.
Even if Shay does take me in, I’ll still be dead by their judgements, not Shay’s, not the courts.
They will find a way to stick that blade into my heart no matter what prison I’m sent to.
I’ll just be alive for a while longer that’s all.
” His expression changed and he grew insolent.
“But I’ll be damned if I go down alone.”
“What the fuck does that mean?” Deuce wanted to know.
Ray just smiled and straightened his shoulders. “You’ll find out when the time is right but not until then. I have my own secrets and I’m entitled to them.”
Ace narrowed his eyes and glared at him then shook his head.
He got the feeling that things around the farm were going to heat up quickly and not so quietly.
It all depended on who got here first. He hoped it would be Shay.
Cause if not, they might have to go to war with this supposed Council.
Then he thought about what Ray just said.
“Wait a minute here, you said you became a member after you reached your majority, was that according to your tribe’s laws? ”
Ray nodded. “Yeah, that’s when you get marked and become a full member.”
Ace smiled. “Charli never went through that ceremony. She never got her mark, so you all can’t really call her a full member.”
Ray froze then began shaking his head. “You’re a clever one aren’t you? While that’s true enough, she’s still Michael’s daughter and everyone knows that. Jullian would have signed her papers when she turned seven and she’s still in the family.”
“Except she isn’t a real member of the tribe,” Jack argued. “As she doesn’t carry your mark. She didn’t grow up under anyone in the family either. Ben raised her from the age of five when you losers left her behind.”
Ray shook his head. “But they sent support. They’ll have records of payments.”
“And thanks to you, she never got that money,” Ace retorted.
“You kept it for your damned self. So, they can use those records to show what a piece of shit you are but that's about it. You and your family fucked up this plan years ago.” He shrugged.
“But either way Ray, that is not your worry. You have bigger holes you are being tossed into. As far as we can see...You are a dead man walking.”
Ray gritted his teeth but he didn’t say another word.
Ace gave Deuce, Joker and Jack a nod as he was about to leave the garage.
Ray broke his silence and asked, “Will you tell my brother something when he gets here?”
Ace paused then turned to tip his head at him. “I’m listening.”
Ray snarled the threat, “You tell Jullian I’m not going down alone. He’ll know what that’s all about.” He smiled coldly and he snickered. “Yeah, tell him that and we’ll see how this turns out. The truth will come out before long and that’s going to blow your minds when it happens.”
Ace stared at Ray. “I doubt that. He was in on it right?” He nodded. “We already wondered about that, asswipe.”
Joker nodded. “Yeah, none of you seem to be honest men.”
“Or decent men,” Ace added.
“Especially you,” Jack added. “What a stinky piece of crap you are. Lack of honor, a freaking liar and a killer. Sneaking up on your niece to murder her.” He shook his head in disgust.
Ray just glared at them. “Sticks and stones...If my brother wants to blow up this family, we’ll just see what happens when the whole truth comes out, won’t we?” He snorted. “And you boys think you got me? Hell, I might be the only one who walks out of here free.”
Ace shook his head. “Nah, man. I doubt that. You are fucking delusional.”
“On top of being a filthy, dirty traitor against the US, you expect to walk?” Jack looked over at his brothers and scoffed.
Ace shrugged. “We gave Shay all the information we had and I’ll bet you he even found your stronghold by this time.
That’s important you know because once he finds it, Shay will bring in his boys and they will strip you of all your weapons.
Then he’ll be able to trace them back to Whittaker and your life as you see it is O-V-E-R.
.. over. Wave goodbye to the free air you’re breathing right now because he will use the terrorist act to shove you into a darkass cell and lock the door behind you. So just dream on, moron.”
Ray snorted. “Fine, keep spouting your nonsense. I won’t see the inside of a cell. No sirrie. You ain’t gonna find my stronghold or my guns. They are secure from the likes of Shay Montross and his little robots. You can’t find them if you don’t know where they are.”
Joker cracked a smile. “Keep talking dumbass, even if it’s only to convince yourself. You don’t need to convince us. We know exactly where you live and exactly where your guns are.”
“How the hell do you know that?” Ray scowled as his smirk left his lips.
“We’ll tell you that after Shay raids your warehouse.
” Ace now gave him a satisfied smirk. “He seems to think he needs the evidence to secure your arrest. We don’t.
We got you, fair and square, and we aren’t working for the military anymore.
So, if an accident befalls you while in custody here? We cannot say we will be sorry.”
“But brother don’t forget the paperwork we’ll have,” Joker happened to mention. “Shay will find the paperwork extremely important. That will be a whole file too.”
“Man, I hate paperwork too,” Deuce added. “But I suppose it would be worth it.”
Ray glared at them all, then shook his head. “You won’t kill me. Not outright. What about this honor crap you keep tossing at me? Won’t you be just the same filth I am?”
Ace cocked his head at him and replied, “Sure, but in your case, we would be doing the whole world a fucking favor.”
“Yeah,” Jack agreed. “So, we would still be within our honor. We were soldiers once, ya know?”
“So, what does that have to do with it?” Ray spat back.
“Well,” Joker drawled. “We were trained by the US of A to kill all dangerous enemies.”
Ace nodded as he crossed his bulging arms over his large chest to add, “Foreign and domestic.”
Jack agreed, “We couldn’t find you before today but what did ya do?”
“You came running here and walked right up into our arms, sweet baby Ray,” Joker said with a huge laugh.
“Yes, you did just that, so we got your dumbass now.” Ace shook his head as he chuckled and turned to head out.
Ace and his brothers all left the garage. Joker was the last one out, so he shut the lights off and made sure to lock the door from the outside.
Ray sat there alone and in the dark. The cold settled all around him and before long, he began to shiver.
He tried to find just how far he could move but those boys knew how to tie the ropes that held him.
Plus, the zipties. It all made for a tight hold.
He rocked the chair back and forth but that did nothing for him either.
He knew if he tipped over, he would be face down on the concrete. He did not favor that idea.
Feeling frustrated, he screamed Charli’s name as his now scratchy voice echoed in the garage.
No one came to the door.
He was truly alone and tied up, waiting in the dark for judgement day.