Reunion Series-

 

Chapter One

It had been two years since the first arrival of the WarLords to Braaken Ridge, Montana. But those two years had been full of good times and bad, tears of pain and tears of pleasure for the five brothers and their families. Now everything had settled down and life was good.

Charli might have lost her grandpa to Andy’s bullet but she found Ace and a whole new life. The brothers had cleaned up this part of the world and now almost everyone was living the good life. 

Charli and Ace’s son, Ben, was six months old now. Luna was pregnant with their first child as well. King and Mags had just had their first baby too, a little girl they called Alison who was born a month ago. Then Jack and Jaden also added to their family with another little girl, they named Megan. 

Everything seemed to be almost perfect now in their world, almost. 

Charli was at the cemetery this morning visiting with her parents and grandparents when she felt a shiver run up her spine. A feeling of foreboding washed through her. She raised her head, searching the area with careful eyes. She hadn’t felt this particular sensation in a long time and the last time she did, her world came crashing down around her. In fact, it had been the day before her family was hit by that car…

She stood up from the grass where they had been sitting by the headstones and gathered baby Ben up in her arms. She got both herself and Ben to the four by four. With one last look around, she sped off toward the big house and the safety Ace provided his family.  

Charli came skidding to a stop just outside the house.

 The door opened and Ace came rushing out. “Babe, what’s wrong? Is someone following you?”

Charli just sat there in the four by four, her whole body shaking. She turned to gather her son in her arms.

Ace was right there when she slid off the seat with her son in her arms. Ace wrapped his arms around his little family.

With a huge sigh, Charli planted her face in his broad chest. 

After a moment, he tipped her chin up with his fingers and studied her face with questions in his eyes. “What’s going on, Charli? Why did you come tearing back here like the boogeyman was chasing you? Are you and Ben okay?”

Charli nodded. “Yeah, we’re fine but something is gonna change here real soon. I don’t know what’s coming but something is. It's like a black cloud looking for somewhere to bring the storm.”

Ace looked confused. “What does that mean?”

Charli just shook her head.

“Come on, let’s go in the house and talk about this.” He told her. He ushered them inside and were met with concerned looks from everyone else. 

King, Jack, Deuce, Joker and some of the women were waiting inside.

Mags came up and asked quietly, “Do you need me to take Ben for you?”

Charli shook her head and gripped her son tighter to her body. Her eyes looked haunted and she stumbled over to the sofa. She lifted her son higher in her arms and then rocked him back to sleep.

Ace sat down beside her.

 No one said a word for a long time, then finally Joker knelt in front of her and looking at her he asked, “What’s going on here, Charli? Why are you so scared and what are you scared of? Please tell us.” He paused, then he said, “You’ve always been so strong, so tough, but now you’re sitting here shaking like a damn leaf. Talk to us.”

Charli took a deep breath and looked around at them all. “You all know I’m part Gypsy, right?” 

Everyone nodded and waited.

“I figured out that it had to be that part of me that…” She shook her head. “...that feels things no one else can feel. It's like when the world gets tipped off its axis for a fraction of a second, you know? Most people just don’t get sensations like that but I do and I always have. I just  never talk about it. The first time I felt it was the day my parents died. Somehow, I knew that trip would be the last time I would see them. When they all the farm that day all I could do was watch them go. I was just a kid and the feeling I had scared the crap out of me, you know?”

Everyone just stared at her. 

Charli shook her head and her voice went low as it trembled,  “I knew they were gone the moment the crash happened. In my mind, I could see their souls leave their bodies and I was afraid to say a word about it to anyone. I laid in my bed here that night and I just cried. My grandmother was afraid for me because all I could do was cry. I was safe with my grandparents but I knew before they told me that my parents were gone. When they got the news about the crash she just turned and stared at me. She seemed to realize that I knew what happened to them before this. She and grandpa tried to speak to me but I couldn’t tell them the truth, they would think I was crazy or something.” Charli let out a long breath and looked up at the ceiling.

Joker patted her hand to encourage her to finish.

She nodded her head and spoke again, “I think they were a little afraid of me after that. For the longest time they would give me strange looks.  Then over the years, those feelings got stronger and I didn’t say anything to anyone about what was going on. But grandpa would watch me carefully. Then my grandma got sick. Grandpa knew what was coming just by watching me. He began making preparations and he was there for both of us. But he knew. Then after she died, he stayed close to me for the longest time.”

“Did you feel like he was going to die when he did?” Ace finally asked her.

Charli slowly looked at him and nodded. “I knew, I didn’t want to know but I did.” Then she raised a hand to her forehead and she began to rub the place between her eyes. “But this is bad and it's coming right to our front door. I don’t know what it will be exactly, but it will come.”

Ace glanced at his brothers then at the other people in the room and shook his head. Finally, he asked her, “Babe, what can we do?”

Charli raised her head and also looked around at everyone’s faces. “You don’t believe me.” 

“Its not that we don’t believe you but even you have to admit this is a stretch.” Ace shook his head. 

“You think I don’t know that?” Charli snapped. “You think I want to be able to know when bad things are coming that I can’t control? I hate it. I have never told anyone about this because I don’t want anyone to look at me the way you guys are looking at me right now. I shouldn’t have shared it. I knew I shouldn't but I can’t hide it anymore either. I care about you all too much not to warn you that trouble is coming. You all need to know that much but I don’t have to stand here and look at your expressions of disbelief and doubts.” She stood from the couch with Ben in her arms and  went down the hall. 

They all heard the door shut.

Ace sighed heavily. He had been stunned by what she said and he also heard the pain in her voice but he had no idea how to comfort her either.

“What the hell are we supposed to do about this?” Joker asked his oldest brother. “I mean can someone really feel disasters coming?”

Ace ran his hands over his head and shrugged. “I don’t know, but that’s not what’s important here.”

“What is important here then?” King asked his brother.

Ace gazed at his family, his brothers and their wives. “We have to stand behind her or we might lose everything we built here.” He surged to his feet. “And I’m not gonna lose the peace and the sense of family we have. I’m not gonna wait unprepared for something she thinks is coming. So for a while we’re gonna be prepared for anything to happen.”

King and the others glanced at each other, then they all turned to look at Ace. One by one they all nodded. They might not know what’s coming if anything at all, but they would be ready for it.

A few hours later…

 The house had gone quiet. Everyone was asleep.

Charli wasn’t sleeping as she became like a ghost that haunted the night. The same feeling she’d gotten at the cemetery this morning had come back to her, disturbing her rest. 

Now she walked silently through the house, keeping guard over her family. In her hand, she carried her rifle, cocked and loaded as she kept watch over her family. She knew no one believed her premonition but she believed in it. She’d lived with her secret all her life. 

She paused at one of the living room windows and searched the front yard. Then her body stiffened and she searched again. Whatever she feared was outside right this moment. She could feel someone staring back at her and the air around her seemed to go still, almost as if it was waiting too.

Charli turned on her heel and went to the back door. Peeking out, she halted but nothing out there alerted her, so she slowly reached for the door handle. She opened the door silently, then slipped outside, pulling the door closed behind her silently.

She used the cover of darkness to slip around the corner of the house and made her way around to the front. Staying in the shadows, she closed her eyes and cleared her mind, almost willing herself to feel where someone was standing.

Opening her eyes, she spotted some kind of movement in the darkness beyond. She raised her rifle in her hands and snapped on the sights. A red dot suddenly appeared and it landed against something solid. “I found you and I will kill you if you don’t tell me why you are here,” she called out softly, just loud enough for her voice to carry.

 The shadow moved slightly and someone moved into the moonlight. “Please don’t shoot me, cousin,” a voice called out. “I came here to warn you, not to hurt you.”.

Pausing at the familiar voice, she called out, “Mario? Is that really you?”

“Si, cousin, it's really me and I come with news that you have to hear.” Mario took another step out into the moonlight. “My papa sent me to warn you about what’s coming.”

Charli came down the steps and lowered her rifle. Before she could say anything the shadows moved again and she raised her rifle back to a firing position. “Who’s there with you Mario? Did you bring someone else here?”

“I did but she isn’t dangerous. Please do not shoot her. She found me on the road and begged me to bring her here. She says her name is Angela and she used to live here. She was just looking for a way to come home.”

Charli could hear the truth in his voice. So she once again lowered her rifle and stepped into the light. “Is there anyone else with you? Any more surprises I need to be aware of?” She glared at her cousin.

“No bella, there is just us and you, of course,” Mario called back. “Are you going to trust me or shoot me before I can tell you the news I bring from Italy?”

Charli shook her head, “You’d better come inside before one of the brothers that live here takes a shot at you before I can tell them who you are.”

Mario paused and stared at her. “You have men living here with you? What does Ben have to say about that?” Mario exclaimed with a growl in his voice as his hands clenched into fists.

 

Chapter Two

Charli slowly turned to look at her cousin and said, “Ben met them all before he died almost two years ago and he was okay with them living here. Besides, I'm old enough to make my own decisions. My husband lives here with his brothers and their families.”

Mario looked surprised. “You’re married? Since when? Why wasn’t anyone else notified of this?”

Charli scoffed. “And why would I have to tell anyone? What I do is my business. Besides, I haven’t heard anything from your side of the family since you all moved  to another continent.”

Mario looked annoyed. “You should have told us because you are Michael’s daughter, that’s why.”

Charli stared at him. “And what is that supposed to mean?”

“Let’s go inside.” Mario pressed his lips tightly together while still looking annoyed. “Someone should have told you some things years ago. They failed you then, but I will explain.”

As they entered the dark house, the lights came on before Charli could reach the light switch.

At the sight in front of them, Charli, Mario and Angela froze.

Ace, King, Jack, Joker and Deuce all stood there with their weapons in their hands. They looked fierce as they glared at the strangers, Charli had standing behind her.

 “Baby, you need to move away from him right now.” Ace growled as he raised his weapon and pointed it at Mario.

“Before you shoot him, I’d like to introduce you to him. He is Mario Benettinni, he’s a cousin on my father’s side. Please don’t shoot him, even if he deserves it. He says he has something to tell me about my dad’s family.”

The men paused then lowered their weapons.

Charli noticed that none of the WarLord men put them away, but this didn’t surprise her either. She nodded at them then led the other two into the living room. She motioned to the sofa.

Still looking leery of the brothers, Mario and Angela sat down. 

Mario didn’t take his eyes off the armed men but finally he turned to Charli and asked, “Which one of these men is your husband? They don’t look like the type of men you should even know, let alone be living with.”

“Who are you to say what I should be doing with my life?” Charli asked with a scoff. “Your entire family left me here to go back to Italy over fifteen years ago.”

Mario shook his head. “We left someone behind to watch over you. He should have notified us when you got old enough to marry.”

Charli shook her head in confusion and she glanced at Ace. Turning to reply to her cousin, she said, “I never had anyone but Ben around me growing up. And why would anyone care? You all made your positions clear years ago after my parents died.”

Mario shook his head. “Damn him.”

“Who?” Ace barked out.

Mario looked disgusted. “My Uncle Ray. He was supposed to keep in touch with you over the years and report back to us if there were any problems.”

Charli shook her head. “I’ve never even met the man. I don’t think Ben did either, at least he never mentioned him. What is going on here, Mario? Why would your family even care about me at this point? Ben was the only one who stuck around. It was like after you moved, that side of the family just stopped existing for me.”

Mario reached out and took her hand. His head turned quickly when he heard Ace’s growl at the contact. Mario recognized it as possession, so he very carefully let her hand go and he studied her carefully. “Who exactly are these men, bella?” he finally asked.

Charli raised an eyebrow at him. “These men are my family, Mario. Ben raised me, but these men saved me. Ace is my husband and the father of my child. When you and your family went back to Italy, you cut all ties. Ben might have been old but he and grandma finished raising me. They were there for me every day when I lost my parents in that feud that had nothing to do with us.”

“We are all Vets and we formed an MC,” Ace said. “We came here looking for our brother that had disappeared right off the face of the earth. We found him alive and well due to Charli saving his life after he’d been stabbed while protecting her. We stayed and cleaned up this damn town. Ben lost his life in a shootout due to one man losing his temper. We settled his ass down hard and his father lost his own protection when we called his bullshit. She’s under our protection now.”

Mario lowered his head and sighed. “You never should have been left alone. Ray was supposed to step up and keep us informed of any danger coming your way. He failed that duty.”

“But that doesn’t explain why you’re here and who she is.” Charli motioned toward Angela. “Unless she’s with you?”

Mario shook his head. “No Bella, she isn’t with me in that respect. I picked her up at a diner on the other side of Chicago. She came along with me when I mentioned I was going to come to Braaken Ridge to find my cousin. She told me she knew that name and she thought she used to live here once upon a time.”

Everyone turned to look at Angela.

She shook her head. “I didn’t come here to cause trouble. About four years ago, I found myself in the hospital. My belly had been sliced open and I lost a lot of blood. The doctors told me that if I hadn’t been found I might have died. It was a trauma that took my memory of who I really was or why I was even there. I mean I didn’t know anyone there and I couldn’t remember my past. I was in Billings then and after I recovered enough to move, I left.” She took a deep breath and went on, “It was like starting all over with no memory of whatever I’d left behind. I got on the first bus I could and got as far as Chicago then I found a job but was no closer to remembering anything. Then I met Mario and the name of this town meant something to me when nothing else ever has, so I tagged along.”

Jack glanced over at his brothers. Then he looked down the hall at the bedroom where his wife and daughter were sleeping and shook his head.

“So what did you come here to tell me?” Charli glared at Mario.

“I came here for two reasons. One was to find Ray and check on you after word reached the family that things were blowing up over here and that you might be in trouble.” 

Charli paused and glanced at Ace. “And what does Ray have to do with anything? I haven’t head his name in over fifteen years.”

Mario shook his head and explained, “And that little one, is the problem. Ray was supposed to keep an eye on you and let us know if you ever needed us. He didn’t and now he’s missing.”

“Missing?” Ace asked. “What do you mean he’s missing?”

Mario sighed hard. “We found out that Ray was not keeping an eye on Charli. He also took our money, then set himself up in an arms running business with several others. They were selling American guns to whoever could pay the most. He disappeared ten years ago and dug himself a hole that protected him while he built his own small army to protect himself against not only us but anyone else that would one day be looking for him. Now we can’t find him and the family is about ready to go to war again on your behalf.”

Charli looked entirely lost as she exclaimed, “On my behalf? But why? I’m not involved in any of that.”

Mario shook his head. “Bella, you are our leader’s daughter. Your father, Mike Bennett, was our leader by birthright and we took over until you grew up. Now it's your birthright to lead our family.”

Charli sat down hard in the chair across from Mario and just stared at him. “What the hell are you saying?”

“Ray was supposed to be working with you all these years, getting you ready to take your place.”

Charli shook her head. “I already told you, I never saw him and Ben never said he ever came around. I also do not intend to run any family but the one I have with Ace.”

“Did Ben ever tell you who your father was?” Mario had to ask.

Charli shook her head. “He never talked about other side of the family. He told me you guys left me behind and went back to your real home in Italy. That the feud was over and my parents died in vain. That they were ambushed over nothing and they died over a feud that meant nothing.”

Mario shook his head. “He was wrong, bella. The feud was very real and the deaths on both sides ripped families apart for nearly a century.” He sighed then said, “But Ben was supposed to guide you and tell you about your dad’s position and someday, your own position.”

“Her position is that of my wife and the mother of my children.” Ace glared at him. “My brothers and I can protect her here and she isn’t going anywhere.”

Mario slowly turned to study him for a long moment, then he shook his head. “That will be determined by her father’s family. She has obligations to maintain here.”

Charli scoffed. “Then you get the council together and you bring them here to talk to me. I will be happy to step aside and let your father take my place. Meanwhile, they can decide what happens to Ray. If he’s broken the laws you live by, then you take care of him. You and your family left me behind, a long time ago. So now, you and your family can handle the family business. Ben raised me and I belong here. He left this farm to me and I’m happy here.” She looked around the room then turned back to Mario. “This is my family now and nothing you tell me will change that. I grew up here with people that loved me unconditionally, they were here for me every day after my parents died. You and your family never paid me any mind really. You only talked to me when it was convenient for you to do so. Then when I was fourteen, your family left me behind, yet again. You all moved to a whole other continent and I was left here with my mother’s family. When we buried my grandmother you didn’t show up, when I buried my grandfather you weren’t here either. You don’t get to decide how I live or who I love. You are my cousin and I have some fond memories of you. We were tight at one point in my life but you can’t tell me how to live anymore, you’re about fifteen years too late.”

Mario surged to his feet and his hands were clenched into fists. “You can’t denounce your heritage, bella! It is a part of who you are. You have your father’s blood in your veins and Michael would be so disappointed in you if you didn’t take your place in this family.”

Charli jumped to her feet as well and went nose to nose with her cousin. “Don’t you tell me that my father would be disappointed in me. You don’t get to do that, cousin. His family let me down, your family let me down. So don’t you dare bring my father’s blood into this. You’ve got no right to do that! My mother’s blood raised me, they cared for me when I was growing up. They were there for me when I was sick, they went to my graduation, not you or yours.”

She broke apart and went over to Ace, who opened his arms and held her tight while she sobbed into his chest. 

Meanwhile, Ace just glared at Mario.

 

Chapter Three

Mario shook his head and held his hands up, “Please Bella, you have to listen to me, you can’t just turn your back on the family. It’s never been done before.”

Charli turned to her cousin. “Well, it’s gonna be done now. Growing up, all I had was Ben and Grandma. They might not have told me what they should have but no one in your family ever checked on me either. I haven’t seen or heard from Uncle Ray since the last time I went to my father’s family side. That was the summer you taught me how to use the knives. Then the next thing I know you all went back across the ocean and I never heard from you again.”

Mario shook his head. “All this time he’s been sending us reports that you are fine, that he was in touch with you. Hell, he even told us you were receiving the money we sent to you.”

Charli stared at him as she looked puzzled. “What money? The only money I ever got was what I earned myself. And Ben would have given that money to me if I received it from your family.”

Mario sighed heavily. “Please stop saying my family, bella. They are your family too.”

“No, they are not nor have they been since my parents died. Your dad took over the family after that and as far as I am concerned, he can continue in that role. My life is here in this country. In America, Mario. Right here on this farm where I grew up.”

Mario just shook his head. “But the title is truly yours as Michael’s daughter, his only child.”

Charli just stared at him for a long moment then she shook her head. “You keep saying that as if you aren’t hearing me at all…” She paused and asked, “Why did you really come back? Why are you here?”

Mario stared at her. “We’ve been hearing rumors about something bad coming for the family. For you. People are looking for you but we don’t know who they are or what they want. My father thinks they are connected to whatever Tiarade has been doing, but we can’t say for sure because we can’t find him.”

King glared at him and asked, “Who is this Tiarade?”

Mario glanced his way then shrugged. “My Uncle Ray. It's a very old Italian name and he chose it to go by officially. I really don’t know why. But over the last fourteen years, we’ve sent him hundreds of thousands of dollars to give to Charli as support from her family but now she says she never got a penny of it. When we were all together, Tiarade pounded the blades. He worked the steel and he was very good at what he did. His blades brought in good money and his three sons were learning his trade. He volunteered to stay behind in America and watch over her when the rest of us went back to Italy. He stayed in touch for a while then seemed to drop off the face of the earth. Part of the reason I came back here was to find him and report back to my father.” He looked over at Charli. “I know we let you down when we moved back and lost contact. But the fact is you are Michael’s daughter and the title of head of the Family belongs to you.”

Charli looked disgusted now. “How many times do we have to go over this, Mario? I’m not moving, I’m not leaving my husband or my son behind for something I know nothing about. Ben raised me right here on this farm and this farm is my real legacy. Your dad leads the family now and he can keep doing that.”

Joker walked over to the table and opened his laptop. Typing quickly, he paused as his eyes widened and he slowly looked up at Ace. 

“What is it?” Ace growled at his brother.

Joker cleared his throat and said, “If I remember correctly, we only got about eighty percent of Whitmore’s forces. We thought maybe there was still one or two that we missed. Right?”

Ace looked perplexed by the question. “We’re still looking for the others but yeah, we still got one or two of them to find. Why are you asking about this now?”

“Tiarade,” Joker whispered. “It sounds a lot like Tirade.”

The room went silent at his words. 

Mario looked around at each of their faces. “What does that mean?”

Ace turned his head very slowly and his eyes were fierce as the rage inside him grew. “Tirade is one of branches of a very dangerous group dealing in the weapon’s trade and the drug trade. A man who called himself Whittaker was the mastermind of his empire and we’ve managed to take down most of it. We’re still looking for two of his men. Tirade and Hammer. Tirade might be your Uncle Ray.”

~****~

Mario swore in his native language, “Accidenti a lui! He is a traitor to his own family then because this is not what we do. We make blades and swords, a craft we were taught from generations before us. Custom ordered and custom made.” He got to his feet and paced. Five steps forward and like five steps back while his facial expressions went through an array of emotions. Confusion, shock and fear.  Then he stopped to stare at Charli. “I need to call my father. He needs to know about this.” Then he scoffed in disgust. “He’s not going to be happy on many factors. But he needs to know.”

He stepped outside to make the call and as he scrolled through his numbers, his hands trembled. Mario paused and took a deep breath then he tried again. He found the number at last. 

The phone rang four times. Finally, his father picked up and when he spoke, his voice sounded groggy with sleep, “Ciao,” Julien Benettini answered. “Che cos'è?” What is it?

“It's me, Pappa,” Mario answered. “I’m here at Benjamin’s farm with Charli.”

Julien paused, then asked, “Does she know why you are there?”

“Si, she knows and she does not want the leadership. She says we abandoned her fourteen years ago and she doesn’t feel that we are family anymore.”

Julien paused and then said, “You know that’s not true. We left Ray behind to watch over her. She can accept our money but not our blood?” He sounded upset.

“No Pappa, that’s the point, she never got the support we sent. And she hasn’t seen Ray since before we left to go back to Italy,” Mario pointed out. “He took the money we sent to her and used it to set up his own arms dealing. Charli’s husband says he might have become part of an empire that sells weapons to anyone willing to pay for them. Friends and enemies alike.”

A long pause of silence came from on the other end of the line, then Julien spoke, “Charli has a husband?” He did not seem to care about Ray’s illegal endeavors. “How is that possible? She never said anything about getting married and the family never gave their permission.”

“She thinks she’s not one of us anymore,”  Mario told him. “And she said she’s not leaving the farm or her husband behind.”

“Non c'è modo. We shall see about that.” Julien growled.

Mario hesitated then he informed his father, “You might have a problem convincing her. Her husband and his brothers are all living here in the house and she has a son now.”

Julien paused, then said, “You keep her there. I’ll bring the Council with me and we’ll be there within the next few days. We’ll straighten her out. She’s Michael’s only child and she has to fall into line with the family’s traditions. She’s old enough now to take her rightful place.”

Mario sighed heavily and said, “Forgive me for saying this, Pappa …But I don’t think you will win in this. She considers Ben to be her only family and he died almost two years ago. Besides, her husband and his brothers are bikers and they don’t look like they would ever be willing to give her or the boy up.”

Just then, the door opened behind Mario.

“They have no say in our business, son,” Julien concluded loudly with aggravation in his voice. 

Mario turned to see who had come outside.

 Charli stood there, she’d heard Julien’s final statement and held her hand out for the phone. 

Mario didn’t want to give his cell to her but he finally surrendered it.

Charli took the phone and brought it up to her ear to say, “Uncle Julien, this is Charli.”

“Ragazza, as the standing leader, I insist that you go with Mario and take your place here with your famiglia,” Julien snapped.

“Considering, I haven’t seen you guys in almost fifteen years, you don’t have any say in my life at all,” Chari snapped back. “I’m not the one who moved continents, you did that. You left me behind and I haven’t heard from you people for almost half my lifetime. Mario said you left Ray here to watch over me but you know what? I haven’t seen him either. Nor have I gotten any of the money Mario said you sent me. I supported myself and I am proud of that. But I do not owe that money to you. So to my mind, you people have done nothing to help me in a long time. And every time I spent time with you all, I was made to feel like you didn’t want me around. So, no Uncle, I do not have to just pack up and leave my home. Ben and Grandma raised me, they opened their home to me, they opened their hearts to a grieving child and they kept me safe and warm. When Ben died, he left me his farm which has been in the Braaken family for five generations. I have a home here with a man that I love and he loves me back just fine. I have a son that will always know his mother loves him the same as I know my mother loved me. He has a father that loves him and five uncles that would die for him.” She paused.

Silence came over the line as her uncle did not reply.

Charli went on just to be clear on this subject, “You stay in charge of your family, your tribe. I don’t have a claim on anyone nor will I accept one. Mario was the only one of you that ever showed me compassion and I’m fine with that. If you want the money back, then you have to find Ray. If he had given it to Grandpa Ben, he would have told me, but he never did.”

“Maybe Ben kept the money for himself,” Julien suggested in a hard tone.

Charli froze then glared at Mario as she spoke over the cell to her uncle, “If you believe that, then you didn’t know Ben at all. He would have never kept what was mine and I think you know that. He was more honest than anyone I ever knew. But if you no longer want the title then pass it to someone who does. You have the power to do that but you aren’t forcing it on me.”

Julien paused for a moment, then he tried another way around things, “I have to tell you something very importante. You need to try and find someone to keep you safe.”

“Why?” Charli asked. “I think I’m safe enough with my family here.”

Julien grunted over the line. “But you aren’t safe enough. If Tiarade is part of this empire like your spouse thinks, then you are not safe at all. We’ve been reading reports about this Warlords group. Tiarade will be looking for them the same way they are looking for him. If you get caught in the middle, he will kill you. He seems to think taking you out will help his cause to get back into the hierarchy of the family. The word around this is that once you are dead, he plans to step up and claim the leadership. But you also have to watch out for this Warlords group that has been hunting him, they are dangerous too.”

Charli smiled as she chuckled a bit. “They won’t hurt me, Uncle.”

Julien protested, “You don’t understand these kinds of people, la mia bambina. They are ruthless and unforgiving. They would use you to find Ray and they might sacrifice you to get to him.”

“No Uncle, it is you that doesn’t understand. I’m married to the leader of the Warlords MC and we share this farm with his brothers.”

Julien gasped over the phone, then he went silent. 

Mario stared at her in shock. Nervously looking back at the house, he whispered, “Those men are the Warlords?” he whispered low as if he thought they might hear him. 

Charli nodded.

Mario turned around in a pivoted circle, then scooped his fingers through his dark hair and exclaimed, “Holy shit!”

 

Chapter Four

The voice on the phone spoke again, “Charli, I’m coming to talk sense into you and I’m bringing the Council with me. They will tell you about the rules we all have follow. Pack your bags because you will be coming back with us. We will protect you from Ray and from the Warlords.”

“Save your money for the tickets, Uncle Julien,” Charli replied. “I am safe here and I’m right where I want to be, where I need to be. You are the leader since my dad died, if I was so important to your clan, you would have taken me with you, not left me behind. You made your choice fifteen years ago and you know what? I’m okay with that choice. My place as you say is right here, right here on this farm. I inherited it when Ben died and this is where I will stay.”

“No child, you still belong to this family as you are my brother’s only child.” Julien growled.

“A child you turned your back on a long time ago. A child you didn’t want all those years ago and a child who grew up. I’m fully grown now and it's only when you think you can control my life that you come back for me. Well, Uncle Julien, guess what? It's far too late for you to care now, far too late to expect me to fall into line just because you say so. I don’t know your rules nor do I want to know them. You let go of me a long time ago and that’s just fine. My grandparents on my mom’s side raised me all these years and I don’t even know you anymore.” She paused then told him, “My husband and his brothers are going to find Ray and shut down his operation. He was part of an international drug and gun ring. They have taken down most of it but they will find the other two they missed out on. If Uncle Ray is on his way here, he won’t find it so easy to kill me. He’ll have to go through my husband and his brothers first, but let me tell you something, these guys have friends that will stop him at all costs and if you choose to help Ray, they will take you down too. Don’t you dare come here and expect me to go home with you. I’m not leaving my farm or my chosen family behind.” Charli was breathing heavily when her tirade ended and she handed the phone to Mario. 

He looked pale and as he took it back.

 Charli turned and went inside, slamming the door behind her. 

Mario heard his father talking and as he put the phone back to his ear.

Julien was ranting. “How dare she speak to me in that tone! How dare she.”

Mario swallowed hard and cleared his throat to say, “I think she meant every word, Papa. We didn’t do our job as family when we left this country. We should have taken her with us and we didn’t.”

“Si, I know that now, don’t I?” He growled. “Then I put Ray in charge of her. I should have known better on that as well.”

“Si Papa, you should have,” Mario agreed. “I was barely older than Charli at the time but even I wondered about that decision. Plus, we always knew Ray wanted something different in his life. Different from what the rest of us had. Yes, he worked the blacksmith flames well, he could mold and shape the blades we made well but we all knew he wanted more. I guess he found it and he used the family money to get him started. He took the money the family left for Charli to build his own empire.”

“I’ll be there in two days and I’m bringing the Council with me. They will put this mistake right,” Julien snapped.

Mario sighed as he knew his father would say something like this. “Papa, they won’t be able to force her to do anything she doesn’t want to do. Like she said she’s full grown now.”

“She will defer to what the family says.” Julien growled again. Then he ended the call. 

Mario shook his head. His father had always been stubborn but this was something else that would prove to be too hard to accomplish. Mario put the phone back into his pocket and turned to face the door. He didn’t know if he was welcome here anymore but when he tested the door, he found it unlocked. 

He walked inside and found himself facing six very angry, very big men. They all had their arms folded over their chests and rage building on their faces.

Mario swallowed hard. Holding his hands up at them he said,. “My father is coming here and he’s bringing the Council members with him. I can’t stop him and Charli told him to stay away but my dad is stubborn as hell. So he’s coming anyway.” He took a deep breath and went on nervously, “I don’t know what happened to the family fifteen years ago but we somehow lost track of what was important. We lost track of Charli and put uncle Ray in charge. I came here to get her and bring her back with me. I didn’t know she’d found a husband and a family.” He ran his hand over his face and said, “Nor did we know about what Ray was doing.” He paused and looked at Charli. “I’m so sorry bella. We left you behind and we never reached out until now. I am sorry that we never checked about the support before now. You are my cousin and I failed you at every turn.”

Charli’s expression didn’t soften a bit. “Yes Mario, you did. With your silence, your distance and the fact that after half my lifetime, you came here expecting me to fall into line because of who my father was. Well guess what cousin? My father died twenty years ago and instead of knowing his family, you all left me behind in more than one way. But my grandfather Ben never did that, no sir, he was there for me every single day. He stayed with me even when he no longer needed to. He was here, he’s the one who taught me things a father should have. He and grandma showed me what it meant to be family, they showed me love just like when my parents were alive. They protected me for all those years while you and your family never did.”

Mario kept shaking his head while looking saddened by her words.

“Then I met these men and you know what? They accepted me and Ben into their family. I love the man I married or I never would have married him. I made a vow in a church of God that I would stand beside him, in sickness or in health, for the rest of my days and I plan to do just that. Your dad can’t tell me that I’m not married, or that I have to give up my husband and my child. I don’t recognize his authority over me. He didn’t raise me, Ben did. He didn’t protect me, again Ben did that too. He didn’t feed me, Ben did. Your dad has been the leader of your tribe since my dad died and for all I care, he can keep that position. Because I don’t want it. I’ve long forgotten the rules your family live by, the rules my father lived with.”

Mario nodded. “My father thinks you are old enough now to take his place but I tried to remind him years ago he made a mistake in not bringing you with us. He told me then he wasn’t ready to raise you back then and once you knew how important the position was that you would come willingly enough.”

Charli shook her head. “No, I wouldn’t. And this is the last time I will tell you…NO. I am not willing to disrupt my life here to live in Italy. I have a home, a husband and a son here. I’m not going anywhere.”

Mario ran his hand over the back of his head again, “Yeah about that, he’s not going to recognize that you’re already married without permission from the Council.”

Everyone in the room froze. 

Ace looked over at Mario with a glare in his eyes. His lip curled as he retorted, “He has no authority here. And I’m not giving her up. I don’t care what  he or your Council says. She’s my wife and she’s not going anywhere.”

“She doesn’t have a choice,” Mario said softly. “She’s Michael’s only child. His seat should have passed to her when he died.”

Charli shook her head and scoffed at him. “I do have a choice. What do you think this is? A third world country? Here we can do as we wish, Mario. I don’t want the position my father held. We can go round and round about this but my mind is made up. I’m not leaving the only home I’ve ever known and I’m married in the eyes of God and man and I’m not leaving my husband and my son behind for anyone. If Uncle Julien comes here, he’ll be going home with only you in tow.”

Mario nodded then looked at the men again. They all shared the same expression and it didn’t bode well for Mario or his father. “How did things get so out of hand?” he muttered. “How the hell did Ray fool everyone for so long?” He looked at Ace and asked, “Is he really part of your takedown? Like a part of this guy’s empire?”

Ace didn’t want to answer, but he did anyway, “If he is Tirade, your Uncle Ray is part of the biggest gun and drug ring in the nation. We located the worst of the group and took them down but there are two factions we haven’t found yet. Tirade is one of them and Hammer is the other one.”

Mario slowly shook his head as he still looked upset. He looked over at Charli again. “Mia cara, I am so sorry for what the family has done to you. We should have checked on you in person. I don’t know why the Council never did, but the threats we found against you are very real. It saddens me to say this but I think it might be Uncle Ray himself. The more I think about it the more I realize that Ray thinks he can’t be found. But maybe, just maybe he thinks because the family has turned their back on you that you may not have family backing. Maybe he even thinks that you are here all alone.”

“But why?” Charli asked. “Why would he come after me? I don’t understand.”

Mario shrugged. “I’m not sure why. Maybe he thinks you shouldn’t take over? Or is it because he never gave you or Ben the money the family sent to him? And he wants to shut you up over that? I mean we haven’t seen him in years and now I am sure he has heard of us wanting you to come home.” He swung his gaze over to Ace and his brothers. “But I will just bet that he doesn’t know you have your own protection already in place. I don’t think he does, he wouldn’t be so brave or so stupid if he did. Stupid because he’s finally going to have to come out of his hidey hole to try to kill you, when you are with the very people he’s hiding from.” Mario nodded as he looked more upbeat and he actually chuckled now. “To think he fears the Warlords and then he comes waltzing in to get at Charlie and comes face to face with them?”

The brothers all stared at him as they didn’t join in his amusement.

 “Maybe I can help you guys find that miserable low life before he comes here,” Mario suggested.

“And just why would you do that?” King asked him with a raised brow. “Why would a man like you go against his family to help us find Ray? He’s your uncle isn’t he?”

Mario nodded. “Si senor, he is and he is also Charli’s uncle. But Charli is my cousin and I was always fond of her. Ray has blemished the name of our family as well. He’s broken one of our laws by taking the money the family sent back here for Charli to pay for her keep. He knew better than to steal it like he did. Then he used it to set up his own gun and drug running? The family will never accept that, as they shouldn’t. Ray will pay the price for his thievery. Whether you guys catch him or we do, he will pay with his own blood. That will be how this ends.”

Chapter Five

Charli looked over at Britney as the woman hadn’t spoken at all for over an hour now. “Are you okay?”

Nodding, she smiled. “I’m fine.”

Charli then looked over at Mario and asked, “What else do you know about Uncle Ray? Do you know where he is living?”

“No, I don’t,” he replied. “But I do know where the checks go to every month. They are mailed to a post office box in Billings, which I think is near here, is it not?”

Ace paused and stared at him. “Do you mean he’s close to here?”

Mario shrugged. “That, I do not know. He might just have a mailing address nearby.”

Deuce spoke up now, “Damn, he could be closer than we ever knew. And here we thought he had a long way to come. But we might only have a few hours until he arrives.”

“I guess it’s a good thing Mario arrived when he did and told us about Uncle Ray,” Ace growled. “But we need to lock this place down tight and get our weapons ready. Then we dig in as deep as we can to find this Uncle Ray asshole.”

The brothers all stepped toward the stairs to open the door beneath them. They had a small armory there as well as one out in the garage area. Then everyone paused as they heard footsteps coming down the hall. 

Little Annabelle came into the room rubbing her eyes and holding her white rabbit. She looked around the room and caught sight of Britney.

When Britney saw her, she gasped and slid off the chair to her knees. Trembling, she stared at the little girl. 

Jack glared at her then went over to Annabelle and picked her up.  “What are you doing awake at this hour, little one? You should be sleeping.” 

Annabelle looked at Britney then back at him. “Who is that lady, daddy?”

Jack smiled at her but he didn’t answer her question. “Come on sweetheart, let’s get you back to bed.” He walked her back down the hall.

They all heard a door opening and then closing gently. 

Mario looked over at the woman he’d brought with him. 

Britney still sat on the floor staring at the hallway with tears in her eyes.

“Do you know the girl?” he asked, kneeling down on the floor in front of her.

Britney shook her head. “No I don’t know her, but I feel like I should know her. There's something about her, something I should remember but I can’t. Oh god, my head hurts.” She raised her hands and rubbed her temples as if she were rubbing away a headache.

Charli studied her for a moment then looked at Ace and shrugged. Turning back to Mario, she asked him. “Just where exactly did you find her cousin/” She asked with a tense question in her voice.

Mario shrugged his shoulders. “I found her in Chicago. I stopped for coffee and she was my waitress. She asked me where I was from and I told her Italy then she asked where I was going and when I told her Braaken Ridge, she froze then she said that name sounded familiar to her but she couldn’t remember why. Then she asked if she could come with me because she thought she grew up in the area. Then she explained that one day about four years ago she woke up in the hospital with no memory of how she got there or who she was.”

Charli looked at Britney again and asked, “Have you figured out anything more about your past since then?”

Britney shook her head slowly. “No, it's like everything is locked behind a door inside my brain and I don’t have a key. I didn’t come here to cause trouble, I swear I didn’t. But when Mario said Braaken Ridge, a flash lit up in my mind. I recalled that name and I thought maybe if I came here I would remember something about my past. I’m just looking for answers as to what happened to me. Like am I really from this place, do I belong here? Who am I and how the hell did I end up in Chicago?” She sobbed and added, “I just want to know what happened to me.”

Charli just shook her head and knelt down to offer her a hand up.

Brtiney took her hand and stood. Then she sat back down in the chair.

Charli sighed hard and went over to Ace.

 He wrapped his arms around her and just held her and set his chin on the top of her head.

Deuce and King went back over to the stairs area.

Ace looked at his brother Joker and nodded. “Start digging into Ray Benittini. If he is Tirade then we need to know more about what he’s been doing for the last fifteen years.” Looking over at Mario, he growled. “And you are going to tell us what you and your family have been doing since you left here to go back to Italy fifteen years ago. And we need to know why your dad is so anxious to get his hands on Charli after leaving her behind.”

Mario nodded, then he glanced at Britney and asked, “Per favor? She’s been through a lot, she needs some food and a place to lay down for a while.”

Charli broke away from Ace’s embrace and walked over to Britney. “Come on, I can get you some food.” 

Britney  stood from the chair and followed her to the kitchen. 

Once they were out of the room, Ace glared at Mario. “Just what kind of trouble did you bring to your cousin’s door?”

Mario shook his head. “I didn’t know about most of this, I swear I didn’t know. The last time I saw Charli, I taught her how to use the blades we were making. I thought that was the least I could do and that maybe one day, she could use what I taught her to protect herself.”

King came back into the room as he carried a rifle and a handgun. “Oh no worries about that.” He chuckled. “We saw the moves you taught her back then and I must say I was impressed by her skill.”

Mario  paused, then he looked over at King. “She handled the blades well? She remembered the moves I taught her?”

Ace nodded. “She remembered the moves all right, scared the hell out of all of us. She honed those blades to a fine point then she showed off a bit.” He smiled a bit at the memory. “She told us while she sharpened them that her cousin Mario taught her all about her heritage and he taught her how to use them as well.”

“Bene.” Mario smiled. “She was always a quick study with the blades. I gave her an old set of her father’s. My father had kept them after Michael died. Shortly before she was supposed to go home, I gave them to her and asked her to keep the blades a secret.” Shaking his head he admitted, “I never told my father I gave her that set of knives. But I thought she should have at least something her father once owned. It was his last set of blades. My father didn’t know until it was too late and he couldn’t do anything about it. Let’s just say he wasn’t happy about the blades being left behind. But it was the right thing to do.”

“So why is he so interested in getting Charli back now?” Ace growled.

Mario shrugged. “I think it’s got something to do with the upcoming festival. All the clans in the family come together every ten years or so and this year it's our turn to host. There’s been talk about joining the two main branches together with a wedding and Charli being Michael’s only child would have been the bride.”

“She’s already married…” Ace growled. “...To me.” His eyes glittered.

Since this man was huge and he looked pissed off, Mario took a small step back and explained it, “But her marriage was never sanctioned by the Council. They have the right to dissolve your marriage and let her marry someone else.”

“The hell they do!”Ace exclaimed.

 All of his brothers growled at the idea as most of them now held weapons.

Mario looked rattled as he sighed. “My father thinks so but I feel if he wanted that right he should have taken her with us and taught her the rules of our clan, fifteen years ago. He didn’t do that so now he has no claim to her. But he thinks because she is Michael’s daughter that she has to fall into line. I heard him tell the Council that she would be grown before the Festival and when the time was right, he would send for her. He doesn’t realize he left it too late for her to just fall into line. Charli is right about that. Ben did raise her, we didn’t. They should have taken her in to raise her from the time her parents died. But they didn’t. I say they because I am nearly the same age as Charli. I had no say and really, I still don’t. They left her here with Ben and he had no idea what to do with her. He didn’t know all the secrets a child from our family needed to know in order to pass it down to the next generation. But my father liked having the power, he liked having the respect a leader has. Even now he thinks he can just command her to fall in line. And what’s worse, is that he’ll still be the leader of our clan because the bride always goes to the groom’s family.”

“Oh, hell no.” King snarled. “That isn’t gonna happen. Charli belongs right here on this farm with us. She’s already got a husband and they have a kid together. I can’t see her leaving Ace and Ben behind. No fucking way.”

Mario shook his head. “I don’t see her leaving this farm behind either. She told me about her life here with Ben and her grandmother when we were young. She once told me that while she couldn’t remember her parents very well, they were right here with her too…they are her connection to this place.”

“Then someone needs to tell your dad that,” Ace grumbled. “And make him understand that he screwed up by leaving her behind.”

“Si,” Mario agreed. “And I tried to tell him this today. Just as Charli tried. You have to realize arguing with this man is hard even in person, but over the phone it was impossible to make a point. I can understand that she has history here, her family history. Her mother’s history but then no one in her father’s family ever took the time to tell her about our side. Now she won’t even tolerate knowing that side of her history.”

Joker shook his head. “I think she will listen to the history and even be curious as to who is who. But I can promise you that she will not listen to the orders he will bring here.They showed her they didn’t want her when she was a child, well now she’s an adult. A wife and a mother even. So she doesn’t need them. It is years too late.”

Mario looked saddened by the whole thing. “And now it's her father’s family looking to kill her. Either that or take her away from her real home and marry her off to someone she doesn’t even know, let alone care about.”

“Let them come,”Ace grumbled. “If they come here looking for trouble, they’ll find it at the end of my fist. Charli has ties here and it's not just us. Ben’s spirit still lives here in her thoughts. He’s watching out for her from the other side, her mom and dad are too. She believes this and to her, they are still here really.”

Mario made the sign of the cross at Ace’s words and he paled a bit. “I never thought about that until you said something.”

“Why is that so important?” Deuce asked.

“Because the family never gave Michael a proper send off,” Mario whispered. “We allowed him to be buried with his wife and my father didn’t make preparations for his soul.”

Charli stood in the doorway and asked, “What preparations for his soul? What does that mean, Mario?”

Mario turned to look at his cousin. “The family has to make sure to do certain things when a family member dies. We are Catholic and some of it has to do with that. But my father didn’t take care of that when his brother died. Nobody did as far as I know.”

“What kind of things?” Charli whispered as she stared at her cousin.

“The family is supposed to have a priest give last rites, then have his body cremated. He is then to carry the ashes with him until they can bury him alongside his ancestors. In consecrated ground as it is called. The ashes are also not to be scattered. That is known as sacrilege. My father didn’t make sure to do any of the sacred rites. Instead, he allowed Ben to bury his brother alongside your mother.”

“Well, her father did get a proper American Christian burial as far as we know. So what’s wrong with that?” Jack asked as he returned to the room. 

“My father broke the basic rule of respect for the souls of our family. And this kind of venerated respect means something in our laws. It is something beyond the material, so that makes this slight even worse, you see?” Mario looked around at them. “He could lose his chance to remain as Quello in Carica… our Capo.”