Chapter 34
Paid in Blood
Wyatt
“Sammy was right, that shit was epic,” Ry croons as he comes over to watch the footage we’ve been watching in awe on repeat.
“You can say that again. This shit is insane,” I murmur.
It is one thing to know what Carmen and Yui are capable of. However, seeing it firsthand is something else entirely. I feel like I’m watching a movie.
I’m still waiting to see stunt doubles step in for them. Like, if I watch close enough, I’ll catch the edits. However, deep down, I know that’s not going to happen.
I thought watching Nellie in action was something. Each time I witness Carmen at it, I’m left speechless. The way she moves with those swords, and to be eight months pregnant while doing it, is awe-inspiring.
Yet it is Yui who has my attention in this video. I have never gotten to watch her in action like this. No wonder Ne just pulled up a chair and had a seat.
“Wait, run that back one more time,” Ryan pleads.
Felix rewinds the footage and starts it once again from the point where Carmen slits Ivan’s throat. I shake my head but lean in with Ry to take another closer look.
“Jesus. They’re amazing,” I murmur.
On screen, Carmen has just disarmed Ivan’s sister as his body lies at her feet.
However, Yui is beside Ne as they take down Ivan’s remaining men.
After Ne chops off the hand of one of Ivan’s guys, Yui runs up Ne’s back and flips over his head, landing in a crouch before rising before him, facing their remaining threats.
She then does an outside flower with her blades before moving into an overhead flower and slashing across one guy’s chest. From there, she moves into a sway motion like she’s dancing.
In the next motion, she spins, does another overhead flower with her swords before placing one behind her back and slashing the next guy with the free arm and spinning to slash another coming at her.
She then spins sideways through the air and lands, pulling both blades through the next guy. This big motherfucker who makes Noah look small comes at her, and I’m sure Ne’s about to jump in.
However, Yui is airborne once again. She uses the guy’s head to turn and land. Before she’s back on her feet, she pulls a blade across his neck before he can get a single attack off.
“Fuck,” Felix says as the guy’s head rolls to the ground.
That’s when Ren Takahashi and Nanami appear. I watch as Ne pulls up a chair and has a seat. When I watched this in real time, I was confused.
“That’s Nanami Nakamura,” Ryan murmured in explanation while we watched on the tablets in the SUV.
“I know who she is.”
“It is a thing of honor. This is why he’s been looking for them,” he further explains.
I understood immediately what I was watching. Ne would not step in. Yui was about to take them both on by herself. And did she.
Ren was the first to attack, trying to back Yui down. However, she dodged his attack, spun around him and kicked him in his back. Nanami tried to ambush her, thinking she wasn’t paying attention.
Yui was fully aware of her. She spun out of the way to dodge her and then dipped back to move out of the way of Ren’s next attacks. With an outside flower of her blades, she then did a reverse flower and spun to slash Ren across the chest, sending him stumbling back.
She then spun out so Ren had his back to her, slashing the backs of his legs and planting a foot in his back. He flew face-first to the ground. I wince knowing what’s coming.
Yui planted the tip of her blade into Ren’s back and flipped over his body, driving the blade in deeper. When she landed on her feet, she slashed her other blade across a distracted Nanami’s neck.
Then she pulled her blade from Ren’s body and bowed to Ne. Damn. That shit is just as amazing as the first time I watched it happen.
Ryan whistles low. “You guys want another beer? I think I’m going to watch that at least once more.”
After we got everything cleaned up, we came to Ryan’s to hang out as a family. Ne and Yui were here for a while before they took off. Roni and Kaye are the only ones who didn’t come over. Roni had a prior engagement and Kaye was tired.
She’s supposed to come by later. The grill is going out back as we’ve been consumed by this video. We’ve all been here kicking back, chopping it up, eating steaks, and watching this footage before Felix destroys it.
Noah must have watched it about five times before he got the grill started. My phone rings and I pull it from my pocket. Seeing it’s Sammy, I smile and pick up.
“Hey, kid. It’s all handled. Everything went as you said,” I say into the phone.
“Why wouldn’t it?”
I snort. “Thanks, Sammy, we all appreciate what you did.”
“Yui needed it to move forward. You all will celebrate life today, not death.”
Everything begins to click into place. This wasn’t just about Ne. It was about Ne and Yui. Everyone in the Alliance knows what happened.
I shake my thoughts clear. Then I open my mouth, but my words are cut off by Bean’s loud whimper. I look to the kitchen and she’s holding on to the counter, looking down at the puddle at her feet.
“Holy shit,” Nellie gasps.
“Are you shitting me? You’re both in labor?” Ryan says as he stares at my wife and our sister-in-law. “Why in my house? Now I have to clean that shit up.”
“Daddy, bad word.” Jordan comes out of nowhere to chide him.
“Ryan,” Carmen screams through the house.
I close my eyes and groan. “Thanks, Sammy. I’ll talk to you later.”
“Congratulations to you all.”
“Hello, Kaye. Baby, tell me you’re not in labor.” Felix says into the phone in a panicked voice. “Oh, thank God. No, go back to sleep.”
I chuckle to myself. Kaye stayed home to sleep. I’ve had enough babies to know he’s not in the clear.
“Wy,” Nellie whimpers.
“Coming, baby. Calling Mom and Dad to come for the kids.”
Joe
“It looks good. I think she’s going to love it,” Roni says as we finish up my surprise for Cass in our backyard.
Looking around, my chest swells. I think she will too. Cass loves our boys and their wives.
This is something that will speak to that love and help to make my point, I hope. As much as we love them all, we need a vacation. We can’t keep putting it off.
I turn to look at Roni and smile. I’m glad I asked my daughter-in-law to help me with this. It was fun to spend the day with her as we got this done.
“I think so too. Let’s get inside before she comes out here,” I chuckle.
“You do know she’s stewing?” Roni snickers.
“Aye,” I say through more laughter.
We step into the house and Cass’s glare lands on me. I school my expression and hold in more laughter. She’s really pissed, but it will be worth it.
“What have ye been doing back there all day?” Cass grumbles to Roni as we step into the kitchen.
Clearly she’s no longer talking to me. She’s been sitting in this kitchen trying to figure it out since Roni and Mena arrived. Mena was supposed to keep her distracted while Roni helped me out.
“Not my place to say,” Roni replies then turns to my granddaughter Mena. “Come on, munchkin. Did you have a good day with Grandme?”
“Grandme made me cookies. We read books and took a nap together. I had a great time. Are we staying for dinner, Mommy, please?”
“Not today, Sweetie. Come, let’s get going and let Grandme and Grandpe have their time together.”
“Ye don’t need to go. I won’t be spending time with that oaf,” Cass growls and shoves a thumb in my direction.
I chuckle and head to grab a glass of water. “Thanks for all your help, Roni. See you later.”
“Hugs, Grandpe. I need my hugs,” Mena sings, bringing a smile to my face.
I turn and pluck her from her mother’s arms. Once I have her in my embrace, I nuzzle her cheek and tickle her belly. She squeals and throws her little arms around my neck.
“I love you, Grandpe. Can I come play with you this week?”
“Of course. I can’t wait. I love you too, princess. We’re going to have so much fun,” I say and kiss her cheek as I give her a tight hug.
“Can I bring my paint set and ballet slippers?”
“I will have drop cloths down and music ready.”
“Yay. You hear that, Mommy?”
“Yes, baby. I heard. Come on. If we leave now, that will be a little closer to when you get to come back. Besides, you promised Uncle Toric and Auntie Natasha you were going to make cream in the new ice cream maker for them. Come on, sweetie.”
“Oh right. Sorry, Grandpe. I have to go now.”
I chuckle and place her on her feet. John’s daughter is the cutest little thing ever. All my grandchildren are adorable. Cass and I love them all to pieces.
“Bye, Grandme. I had fun. See you next time,” Mena sings to Cass and waves.
“See you later, love. Here, don’t forget the cookies ye made for ye da.”
“Oh yeah, I don’t want to forget those. He’ll have the sads.”
“We don’t want that now, do we?”
“No,” Mena says and runs to Cass for the brown paper bag of cookies.
I watch as Roni scoops Mena up once again then tosses me a wink before she heads out. A grin comes to my lips as Cass snorts and begins to grumble to herself. Wait until she sees what I’ve been up to.
“Keeping things from me in me own home. The nerve,” she says with her back to me.
“I wanted to surprise you. Since I have planned two vacations and you keep postponing them because our sons make babies like they’re baby-factory workers and you don’t want to miss a thing, I’m trying to do something nice for you,” I say as I walk up behind her and place my hands on her hips.
Leaning down to get close to her ear, I then continue.
“Because I guarantee one of those boys will be having another baby as soon as all these wee ones drop. It’s okay for us to be here for them and their families, but you need a break to recharge.
We have Sunday breakfast here every weekend and that turns into Sunday lunch and dinner.
“During the week, there isn’t a day when you don’t have a grand here. I threaten the boys to keep those bad babies home for at least a week and you snap at me, but they piss you off one way or another before they go home.
“Then I have to deal with it. Let me take care of my wife, woman. Now come on so I can show you what I’ve been up to.”
She looks at me, and a smile comes to her lips. God, she’s still as beautiful as the first time I laid eyes on her. I dip my head and peck her lips.
When I pull away, I take her hand and lace my fingers with hers as I lead her out of the kitchen and into the backyard of our home. Night has finally fallen, so my surprise stands out more.
“Ach, Joe,” Cass gasps as the backyard and pool come into view.
I pull my phone and turn on the music I have cued up. Marvin Gaye and Tammie Terrell’s “You’re All I Need to Get By” spills through the sound system. Cass turns to face me with a smile on her lips.
“This is what ye have been up to all day?” she says with tears sparkling in her eye.
“Aye, love.”
“A wall of pictures and you lit all these candles? It looks so romantic back here.”
I glance up at my and Roni’s handiwork. It did come out better than I expected. I built the wooden wall once Roni and I covered all the windows leading out into the backyard and put up a tent to work in to make sure Cass couldn’t see what we were up to.
I’ve been collecting pictures of our thirty-eight years together for weeks and Roni helped me make copies of them. Once the wall was up, Roni attached lights to frame the wall and then added the photos.
Putting out all those candles and lighting them took way longer than I thought. I placed them around the pool and the base of the platform I built beneath the picture wall.
“Do you like it?”
“I love it. Ye had the grill going?” She snickers. “I wasn’t going to feed ye tonight because ye were pissing me off.”
I chuckle. “I wasn’t worried. I had steaks, baked potatoes, and asparagus grilling.”
She hugs her arms around my waist and gives me a squeeze. I envelop her in my embrace and begin to sway her to the music. The song changes to “How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You)”.
I cup the back of her neck and bend to press my lips to hers, kissing her breathless. She pulls away with a cheeky smile on her face. I wink at her and press a hand to her back as I start a two-step rock as I guide her to move with me.
“I want to look at the wall of pictures,” she says with a smile.
“Come, it’s a wall of memories. I have some of my favorites up there.”
I lead her to the platform and lift her onto it.
Once I climb up beside her, I lace our fingers together and we move to the wall lazily.
My heart swells as we look over the years of our lives: the day Wyatt was born, our wedding, the birth of Noah, Wyatt’s first birthday, bringing John home from the hospital, Toby and Kamara’s first dance at their wedding—the list goes on and on.
My smile grows as Cass moves closer and touches a picture of Ryan’s wedding day next to a picture of him holding Jordan as Cass looks up at him like a proud, loving mother.
“We did good, Joe. This is why I can’t leave the little fuckers to take a vacation. They’re not so little anymore and I don’t want to miss anything,” she chokes out.
“We’re not going to miss a thing. If you don’t recharge, you will have nothing to give, love. That’s all I’m concerned about.”
She looks up at me and nods. “I know and I love ye for it.”
“Let’s Get It On” begins to play and a cheeky smile comes to her face. I cup her cheek and run my thumb across her lips. I have loved this woman most of my life and can’t imagine my world without her.
“What are ye thinking, love?” I ask, letting my accent slip.
“I think Marvin has a great idea.”
I laugh. “Is that so?”
“Aye, it is, my big lad.”
I lift her into my arms, bridal style and head back into the house. Glad I had the foresight to turn the grill off before heading inside with Roni.
Heading to our bedroom, I get a foot on the first step when my phone rings. I groan and roll my eyes.
“Ye could ignore it. You are retired,” Cass says.
“We have more than one daughter-in-law with a due date looming,” I sigh.
“Fine. Yer right. One of those fucker’s brats would pick now to come.”
I place her down on her feet and pull my phone. Seeing it’s Wyatt, I purse my lips and pick up. His wife is one of the ones due soon.
“Hello,” I say into the phone.
“Dad, Nellie, Bean, and Carmen are all in labor.”
“What?”
“We’re all on the way to the hospital from Ry’s.”
“We’re on the way.” I hang up and look down at Cass.
“What? What is it?”
“Three of the girls are in labor. We’ll have to table those plans.”
“Ach, ye have to be shitting me,” she says.
“Aye, I wish I were. I’ll shut the house down and meet you in the car.”