The Swing Chapter Fourteen

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"So." I stopped dead in my tracks and stared at the book in my hands. The words La Cosa Nostra blurred as I realized I was caught. "How far did you get." I could feel his footsteps on the ground as my senses intensed. My heartbeat got louder. "You shouldn't race your heart that fast." He said it in such a calm serious voice, it scared me. He slowly reached over my shoulder and took the book out of my hands. "La Cosa Nostra." He said it with a very strong accent. It didn't sound like him anymore. "Do you know what that means?" He slipped his fingers through my hair and leaned close to my ear. "This thing of ours." He hissed the s and a chill went up my spine. 2

"Ace what are you doing?" It was June. 3

"June our history, our life, our secret. She found it and she is one who can not know about it. Although know." He paused, I could feel his stare. Ace moved quickly and pulled me up to my feet by my right arm. "If you really want to know whats in here, Ill show you."4

"Ace you cant." I looked in Clark's eyes. He looked concerned. "Once you tell her." He stopped and looked at me with sadness. "Why Chalice?" I didn't understand what they were talking about, but I know whatever it is, was a serious matter that I couldn't back out of. 5

My voice stuttered out a question, "Why am I one that can not know." Ace's eyes were the last thing I wish I looked in.6

"Because." He let go of his grip and I could tell he was getting ready to tell me a tale. "My last name, Maranzano, do you think you've heard it anywhere before?"7

I thought about it,"No."8

"Well, it comes from Salvatore Maranzano. He was my grandfather and part of a mafia gang in New York. He was killed by a guy named Lucky Luciano and his gang." He paused and I knew why, because he knew that last name would hit me like a ton bricks. Tom Luciano. "Yes, Chalice, Tom Luciano. Toms grandfather killed mine. It was all a fight to be the most important gang in New York. The mafia goes back further then that of course. I'm sure you know. Clark's last name, Bonanno. Joseph Bonanno was teamed with Salvatore Maranzano. June Colombo, Dice and Ticket Gambino, Dan Genovese, and James Lucchese. We're all Italian and our families have a mafia history."9

"But Dice and Ticket - "10

"Their black because of their mom." It was like he could read my mind. "there's more to it, but I don't have time to explain history." He started flipping through the book, through family trees. He passed all of the names he had mentioned, including Toms. He stopped at a bunch of paragraphs. "The mafia is still running secretly and not even half as active as they were, but there nonetheless. Our families are out to get the Luciano's and the mafia families who deal with them. Do you remember a kid named Jerry? He fought with Tom in his seventh grade year." I knew who Jerry was, how did Ace know who Jerry was, that's what I wanted to know. "Well Jerry - "11

"His last name is Genovese." I said it as it hit me.12

"Very good, your catching on."13

"So he fought Tom because of the feud going on."14

"Correct. Now, you weren't supposed to be apart of this, you weren't supposed to find out this way. When you moved here and we realized you were with the enemy we had to try to get you to hangout with us, possibly like one of us and dump Tom. If that had happened whoever it was was going to dump you and hopefully you would move on and never find out. Although you did find out and now Chalice you have to chose sides.  Its very likely you'll chose Toms, but your in our hands."15