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"Don't ever raise your gun to my granddaughter." Fane continued to stare directly at me but his words were directed to his men who slowly lowered their guns.

"I'm surprised Ava." Fane spoke as a prideful smile rose to his lips. "Who knew a woman in my family would ever hold a gun to me."

"I don't want to be here all day. Start. Talking." I thrust my gun forward.

"Yes." He held his hands up. "I made the deal with your parents."

"And Grayson?" I snatched my gun away from his head and placed it in front of me on the desk.

"He's Vania's son." He confessed again. "I wasn't happy when I found out you were a girl, so I had him sent over to Hayze and Maya so they could train him to be what they were." It was like he already knew Grayson was nothing like our parents.

"You've gone to see Grayson haven't you." I said with a threatening tone. "HAVEN'T YOU!"

"I-I just wanted to talk to him-" He got out before I knocked him out with the butt of my gun.

"FUCK!" I paced back and forth.

"She just knocked out our boss and we're just to stand here and let her?" One of the guards yelled.

"No one touches her, she's Maya's daughter." The guard who escorted us here stepped in. "I'm Nicolae, head of Fane's security team. Every single one of the in-house guards were trained by your mother."

"Since you're head of his security team, when did he go see Grayson?" I questioned.

"The other day." He leaned against the door, shoving his hands into his pockets. "Fane didn't have a chance to talk to him because Grayson had to go back to training, Fane shook his hand and that was about it." Nicolae stood at average height, he looked to be around his late 30's with blonde hair and bright blue eyes. He made a move to step around Carters tall and intimidating frame but was stopped once Carter stepped in front of him.

"Boss." A guard shook Fane back to consciousness.

"Why are you so easy to give away information?" I stared at Nicolae with my eyes in slits.

"Why are you so easy to accept it?" He fired back.

"Who said I was accepting it?" I stared him up and down until he backed off with a slight smile resting on his lips.

"Didn't I tell you to stay away from Grayson? Not until he was ready was it okay for you or anyone to go see him." I leaned over the desk.

"He's not your-"

"Finish your sentence, I dare you." I challenged him.

"I don't want to fight with you, you're my granddaughter." He said softly. "The last thing of my Maya."

"Why all the lies and the bullshit?" I demanded.

"Can I speak to you privately? I would like to keep the little dignity I have left." Fane continued to look anywhere but at me.

"After getting knocked out by her and none of your men backed you, how do you have any left?" Kai's laughter seemed to echo in the quiet room.

"Stop. Talking. Kai." I kept my eyes on Fane. "Everyone get out!"

I held my hand to Carter and pulled a chair next to me so he could sit.

"We don't take orders from you." One of the guards spoke up.

"Yes you do, get out." Fane stared right back at me. "Nicolae stays."

Cautiously, the room cleared out leaving the four of us. I could tell Carter wanted to rip this house apart and kill everyone in it but he remained calm but there was no denying the wrath that radiated from him. Fane and Nicolae watched him with careful eyes as he sat back and pulled a cigar from his suit jacket.

Always observant.

"I never planned to tell you about the deal I made and the same goes for Vice." Fane leaned and held his head in his hands. "Women don't lead, they never have. It's a mans job Ava."

"I never came here to talk to you about having your title, you can go shove it up your ass for all I care." I slammed my fist on his desk. Fane shoot up straight and stared at me with wide eyes. "I WANT THE TRUTH, START TALKING." I yelled, hoping it'll get through his thick head this time round.

"I-I." He stuttered. "I never disowned your mother, it was just a big act. She and your father Hayze came up with a plan to take the heat off of our families from our rivals and the Feds."

His story matched a long side of Quinn's, the whole deal and the stuff that went down with Grayson and our parents.
I watched him closely, which made him uncomfortable the entire time.

"I went and saw Grayson the other day, I just wanted to see what he was like for myself." His eyes pleaded with me. "I could see the soft and caring side of Maya in him and the man your father was but he couldn't hurt a fly even if he wanted to. He doesn't even look like Vania, he looks a splitting imagine of your mother Maya."

"Grayson wasn't taught anything you wanted him to be taught, you're right he wouldn't hurt a fly." I stated. "Don't go anywhere near my brother again."

"But-."

"I wasn't giving you a choice. You will stay away, you and the rest of your family." I stood and strapped the glock and knives back into my guarder under the sun dress I wore. "You shouldn't have gone to see him, what do you think will happen if the wrong person saw you with him? He'll be dragged into this bullshit that he wants nothing to do with."

"Have you given him a choice?" Fane challenged.

"HOW DARE YOU QUESTION ME, I'M NOT SELFISH LIKE YOU. OF COURSE I GAVE MY BROTHER A CHOICE!"

His eyes widen again in fright, not expecting me to stand my ground. "Trust me-"

"TRUST YOU? SINCE THE FIRST TIME MEETING YOU, YOU LIED AND KEPT SECRETS FROM ME." I boomed throughout the office that now felt claustrophobic. "WHY WOULD I TRUST YOU?"

"You trust him." Fane hung his head as he nodded towards Carter.

"Give me one reason why I shouldn't trust Carter?" I snapped.

I moved fast and had Fane out of his chair and pressed to the wall behind him by the throat. Fane definitely had me in the weight department but I still managed to have a firm hold on him without any struggle.

"He's the Mafia King. He could have hidden agendas." Nicolae cut in.

Carter scoffed and puffed at his cigar, blowing the smoke around as he chuckled.

"Like what!" I demanded.

"He can use the information I have told you against me." Fane wheezed and I loosened my grip only to tighten it again.

"Your family title is dirt compared to Carter's. The Monrovian Mafia And The Versana Cartel put together doesn't even come near Carter's Mafia, The Soreign Mafia." I laughed without any humor in it. "You have nothing to make him anymore richer or powerful."

"He could be using you." Nicolae spoke up again.

"Using me for what? I have no money, I have no power. I have nothing left, I don't even have my baby brother with me anymore." My voice broke. "There's nothing to gain from me." I let Fane drop to the floor.

"Your title and Vices is hanging in the top five by a thread." I dropped Fane and sat back down in my chair. "The Salvatore Family just took second place in the top five because you've found yourself back to square one."

"Everything my parents did for you and him was a waste." I said calmly but I was anything but calm. "You've got nothing left. You're losing your rank, losing money, your legitimate businesses are all bankrupt, people are coming for you and the Feds are on to you, again."

I asked Carter to look into Fane's situation before we left Mexico and he had everything laid out in front of me within the hour.

"Where is your family Fane? Out shopping?" I stared him dead in the eye and the man in front of me finally broke into a sobbing mess. "They left you, didn't they?"

"What kind of family is that? Times got hard and they all left. Your wife, your kids and your grandchildren." I held three fingers up. "Packed up and left you with nothing."

He said nothing and continued to cry because he knew I was right.

"You're a sorry excuse of a man, you should of taught your family right and they would have stayed by your side the whole way through." I stood and Carter followed suit. "Some people will only love you as much as they can use you. Their loyalty ends where the benefits do." I made my way to the door.

"The title. It's yours Versana." He called with a heavy voice.

"It was mine the moment I stepped foot into this house. Pack your shit and get the fuck out of the country. I'll contact you once I clean this shit up." I slammed the door shut behind me.