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He answered on the second ring. “Ellie.”
A shiver ran down my spine when I heard him say my name and I almost hung up. “Collin, I’m sorry to bother you.”
“I figured it must be important. That’s the only reason you call. When you want something that’s important to you.”
Ouch. But I couldn’t deny it, and his statement only confirmed Tsagasi’s words. “What do you know about Raven Mockers?”
He hesitated. “They’re Cherokee.”
“Well, they seem to be equal-opportunity terrorists.”
“You’ve met a Raven Mocker?”
I told him about my encounter with the Raven Mockers at Allison’s house.
“You fought Raven Mockers?Are you crazy?Was thishisidea?”
“If you’re referring to David, then no, it wasn’t his idea. I think he wishes I would have just sent them away instead of killing them.”
“What do you mean you killed them? That’s impossible.”
I shook my head before realizing he couldn’t see me. “Tsagasi helped me.”
“Tsagasi? The little person?”
For someone who was dedicated to Croatan culture, he sure knew a lot about the Cherokee.
“Oh, Ellie. What have you done?”
I shoved down my anger. “I’ve saved countless people, that’s what I’ve done.” Even if I didn’t manage to save Allison. “But that’s not why I called you.”
“Then whydidyou call?”
“I remember what happened the night of Momma’s murder.”
He paused. “You do?”
“Did you know about your father?” I choked out.
He waited several seconds before answering. When he did, his voice was thick with emotion. “What do you remember?”
“Did you know your father killed my mother? Answer the question, Collin.”
It took him several seconds to answer. “I didn’t know for sure.”
“But you suspected?”
“He went off to do a job for Marino, and then he disappeared. We literally never saw or heard from him again. Marino was so attentive in offering his help after my father’s disappearance. It wasn’t until years later that I figured out that something permanent had happened to my father, and Marino was directly involved. But I wasn’t about to say anything. Hell, I was a kid. I was ten years old.”
“So why did you think your father killed her?”
“Because my father had found out about the Ricardo Estate. He knew of the ring and spear that were tied to the curse. He had no idea what they did, but he was determined to end it. I heard him tell my mother he was going to destroy the weapons. Maybe he considered you a weapon too. It sounds like your mother got in the way.” His voice broke. “God, Ellie. I’m sorry.”
I took several breaths to control my tears. “So how does Marino come into this?”
“Marino has no idea about the curse. I suspect my father found out about the Ricardo Estate, but it was too big of a job to do alone so he brought Marino on board. Marino only wants the loot from the estate. Hell, it’s not even about the money anymore. It’s the one big heist he’s never completed. It’s his ego that’s on the line.”
“Which is why he was so intent on finding me.”
