Chapter Fifteen
After supper, everyone was sitting around the living room talking quietly. They all froze as they could hear a car turning into the driveway.
Mario rose from the chair he sat in and went to the windows at the front of the house. He stood there watching as the vehicle stopped and four men got out. With a look of worry, he swallowed hard and turned to look at Charli. “My dad and the Council are here.”
Ace and his brothers all got to their feet.
Charli stood as well. She looked at the other women in the room and asked, “Can you ladies give me a few minutes?”
Luna, Collette, Jaden, Mags and Rowen all gave her a nod and went down the hall to their rooms.
Charli took a deep breath and exhaled. Turning to her cousin, she nodded.
When Mario opened the door he saw his father Julian and three other men standing behind him. Mario stepped aside and left them an opening into the house.
Julian walked inside and paused as he saw the six men in the living room. He then looked back at Mario and spoke in Italian, “Cos'è questo? Who are these guys? And what are they doing in Charli’s house?”
Mario closed the door and turned to cross his arms over his chest. Looking his father in the eyes, he replied, “These guys are Charli’s family. Ace is her husband and the others are King, Jack, Deuce and Joker. They are Ace’s brothers.”
One of the Council men shook his head. “Charli can’t be married. Permission was never given for nuptials to someone else.”
Charli snorted. “I didn’t need anyone’s permission to marry him. I am a woman full grown and I make my own decisions.”
“But my dear,” the same Council member spoke up again. “You are Michael Benitini’s only child and you were born into the tribe.”
Charli shook her head. “And just what does that mean? To me, not a thing. Julian and his tribe left me to grow up here with my mother’s parents.
My grandfather Ben Braaken raised me. After we buried my parents, he raised me right here on this land from the age of five.
Julian and his tribe never even checked on me for nine years then I was allowed to visit with them for two weeks.
Mario was the only one in his family that would even speak to me.
He taught me some moves for the blades his family made from the steel.
Other than that, the family told me nothing.
When I would ask about the feud during that visit, I was told nothing.
Julian’s wife told me it was forbidden to speak of that time, so I didn’t know what happened that day or why.
I never knew until Mario got here two days ago.
I never knew my parents were on their way to sign off on the feud.
That while they were trying to get peace for the two families involved, my parents should not have died on that road.
I was told nothing.” She turned to her Uncle Julian and glared at him.
“And you... you piece of shit, you never told me I was supposed to marry a man I didn’t know at the upcoming festival as some ridiculous tradition, until yesterday on the phone. ”
The Council men standing there all looked gob smacked at her speech.
“Well bucko, you’re about two years too late. I’m already married and I have a son with my husband. So, you’ll just have to find another woman to marry this guy.”
“But I signed the marriage contract with the other tribe when you were seven.” Julian growled.
“Well, that’s too bad, isn’t it?” Charli snapped. “You may think you did everything right but here’s where we have a problem, uncle. You failed to mention any of this to me until it was too late. I don’t even know this joker. In fact, you never told me a lot of things, did you?”
“Like what?” another member of the Council asked.
“I grew up under Ben’s guidance, not the tribes.
I never was told about how the family lived, how they made the blades or anything about them.
I grew up right here on this farm in the good ole USA.
The only time I ever spent with Julian and his family was about fourteen years ago.
Hell, when they left here, they never even let me know they left the states and were living in Italy.
Mario told me this when he arrived here the other day.
That was the same day he told me I had to go with him back to Italy to marry a man I didn’t know. ”
“But child, the family paid money for your expenses all those years you were growing up,” the first member of the Council assured her.
Charli glared at him. “No, they did not. Ray took that money and set himself up as a gunrunner under the guidance of Jedidiah Whittaker. They sold stolen guns to the enemies of this nation. He went under the name of Tirade and no one knew where he was for the longest time. And that’s when he made his biggest mistake. ”
“And what was that?’ Julian asked.
Charli crossed her arms and glared at him. “Ray came here to kill me yesterday, before you and these men got here. You see, he didn’t want Gypsy justice coming after him for breaking all the rules you people live by.”
The members of the Council looked at one another then they turned to Julian. One of them asked, “Were you aware of this Julian? The fact your brother was running guns.”
Julian licked his dry lips and began to shake his head.
“Stop Papa... just stop.” Mario glared at him.
Everyone turned to look at Mario.
He literally shook with rage. His hands were clenched into fists and he was glaring at his father.
“Just stop the lying. For years, you lied. Not only to me and to Charli but everyone else in the tribe too. Ray never checked on her and those reports he was sending back were nothing but a bunch of lies. Ray took the money, every nickel and dime, he took it and he used it to buy his place in Whittaker’s empire.
He stopped making the blades and began running guns.
And I believe that you've known that for years, Papa.”
Julian opened his mouth but he couldn’t make any words come out to deny the challenge of his son’s accusations. He knew it and so did Mario.
“Can you deny these challenges Julian?” The leader of the Council called out. “These are damning words.”
Julian just stared at Mario for the longest time. Then he turned to the Council and said, “No, I cannot deny them.”
The Council members were shocked by his admission.
“Do you know what you are saying here?” The leader asked him quietly.
Julian exhaled and nodded slowly. “Si, I know what I am saying. I’ve known for fourteen years what my brother was doing. I may not have encouraged it but I knew.”
“You did more than just know.” Mario shook his head. Then he looked at Shay and asked, “You said my Uncle Ray was one of Whittaker’s gunrunners, you called him Tirade, did you not?”
Shay nodded.
“Didn’t you also say there was another man out there you were looking for?” Mario asked. “Someone you didn’t know by his legal name but by another name?”
Shay glanced at Ace then he looked back at Mario. “Yeah kid, we know him by another name. Hammer and we know he might not live here in the states but he could live in Europe somewhere.”
Julian snapped his gaze over to stare at Shay then he slowly turned to look at Mario. He just stared at his son for a long moment then shook his head. “No, no, no,” he murmured as he took a step back.
Ace looked over at Charli. He saw tears filling her eyes but he could see she wasn’t letting them fall. Then he turned back to Julian. “Are you the one they call Hammer?” Ace growled harshly.
Julian shook his head. “No, I am not.”
Just then, Joker and Jack dragged Ray into the living room.
His hands were still secured behind his back but he heard Julian deny Ace’s accusation. Ray scoffed then sneered. “Oh, come now, brother. You know better than to deny the truth.”
Julian snapped his head up. When he saw Ray, his eyes widened and he took another step back.
Ray leaned his head back and laughed loudly.
Then he looked at Julian as he grinned at him.
“Dang Julian, you just have to be the biggest fool I’ve ever met.
You think you’re so worldly but you’re so gullible.
You know you can’t deny the truth.” Ray swung his gaze over to Ace and Shay.
“Yeah, you caught me. I’m Tirade and knowing you, you’ll find the guns.
I realize that I’m not going anywhere. I know that I’m probably going to go to prison for the rest of my life.
” He turned to the Council. “You may think you have the right to judge me but these jokers tell me they don’t think you do.
And Shay got here first.” Ray turned to his brother again.
“But I won’t be going to prison alone. You are just as guilty as I am, Hammer. ”
At this news, Joker and Jack looked at each other. Jack nodded and whispered to Joker, “You owe me fifty.”
Hearing this, Ace shook his head at his brothers.
Ray went on, “You were my contact on the European side of things, Julian. You accepted shipments and mailed them out to our contacts just the same as I did. You said it might be exciting to be part of something this big. You took the money just the same as I did. You are in this right up to your neck. Your name is going to be dragged through the mud just the same as mine will be. The family and the whole tribe will know what we did and why we did it. Shay and the Warlords more than likely have enough evidence to send us to jail for the rest of our bloody lives.”
Mario shook his head as he looked upset as all hell. “But did you have to take the other cousins with you Uncle Ray? Did you have to drag them into your mess as well? They’re so young too. I’ve spoken to a few of them and they admitted to what they did.”
Ray turned his head to look at Mario. “Nah kid, they didn’t do anything that bad, they were just carriers a few times.
They never even knew what was in the boxes they took.
” He sighed hard. Then he looked up at Shay and straightened his shoulders.
“I can admit when I’m done. This game was getting old anyway.
I think I knew when you took down Whittaker that I was next.
But I just had to push my luck, you know?
I figured if I could just get to Charli and get out again I could play the game a little longer.
” He shook his head. “Then Julian had to step in the mud and now we’re both stuck.
” He shook his head. “Julian was my Euro contact and together, we sold arms all over the world.”
Shay shook his head and moved over to Julian to put him in cuffs.
The men of the Council just stood there and watched. They knew they didn’t have any real power here, just as they knew they couldn’t expect Charli to follow through with her obligation to marry the head of the other tribe.
Finally, the leader of the Council turned to Ray and asked, “Did you use the money we sent to Charli for this gunrunning empire?”
Ray nodded. “Yes, I did. Before Julian even took the tribe back to Italy, I was already involved with Whittaker. But Julian knew that even then. We planned this before he went there. We worked together and built up a pretty good way of making a living. We both got paid the big money for a long time and we had a good run until we didn’t. ”
Ace walked over to where Charli stood and wrapped his arms around her. “How did you know Julian was Hammer?” he asked her softly.
Charli looked up at him and said, “That was his like family name when they were making the blades. He was the one who hammered the steel and he was very good at what he did. I guess he should have just kept hammering the steel instead of changing his career path.”
Ace snorted. “Yeah baby, he should have just kept hammering the steel.” He sighed. “I’m sorry but we had to stop him.”
Charli nodded. “I know.” She looked over at Mario. “And I think he knows that too. Mario isn’t a bad guy, he’s just lost right now. Can we ask him to stay here for a while? Until he gets his head on straight maybe? So much has happened and I think he needs a safe place to stay for a bit.”
Ace held her close. “Yes, sweetness. He can stay. Have I told you recently that I love you and I’m very glad I married you?”
“I think you told me that just last night?” Charli grinned at him.
Shay and Joker led the two cuffed men out to Shay’s vehicle and secured them into the backseat.
The Council members stepped over to Mario to speak quietly with him.
After a few minutes, Mario came over to Charli and said, “The Council wants me to take them back to the airport, so they can go home. There’s a lot to be done there as they have to vote in a new leader for the tribe.”
Charli nodded, then she reached out to take his hand.
“Maybe after you drop them off, you can come back, maybe even stay a while. You were kind to me at one time, maybe I can return that favor until you get your head straight. I mean this is a lot to take in. I guess what I’m saying is, being here could help you if you want that. ”
Mario studied her for a moment. “You would allow that?”
Charli smiled and nodded. “I think we both need this time. I don’t blame you for any of this, Mario.”
Mario nodded then cocked his head to one side. “I would be happy to return. I think it’s time I told you about your dad.”
Charli smiled. “I’d like that. I don’t remember him anymore. Maybe you can bring him alive for me again.
“I would be happy to do that.” He paused, then added, “I also think Colette might need me.”
Charli smiled at him as. “You think?”
He nodded as he actually blushed a bit.
Deuce scoffed.
Ace looked over at him.
Standing next to Deuce, King had his hand out, palm up and whispered, “You owe me fifty.”
Ace shook his head as now these two had a bet about Mario and Colette. Damn, all four of his brothers had a serious gambling problem. But he had to admit they also predicted things he hadn’t guessed at. “You guys are not allowed to go to Vegas, ya hear me?” he scolded them.
“Or Reno. I always told you boys to lay off the gambling.” Shay smirked at the brothers.
They grinned at him.