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 headand 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 areyourfamily 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 youareMichael’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?”
