88 – Alex
I hadn’t moved from Joey’s side, other than to check in on Yuka.
His surgery had gone well, and he had been as concerned for Joey as everyone else.
There was more than enough security in the hotel where Yuka and Joey were now recovering in, and we were hoping to head home in the next few days and start to get back to normal.
But there was the little ‘trial‘ which was going to be held against Jake and Yamota to see to first. Hirano wanted to hold it while we were still there, so that we knew firsthand that justice had been served.
There was a light knock on the door, and I stood, leaving the bedroom and went to answer it, knowing it would only be someone who cleared security. Hirano had been pretty adamant that no one would get in unless they were of our clan. Opening it, I stared at the huge lump which stood in the doorway. “Ollie.”
He stepped forward, wrapping his huge arms around my chest and lifted me in a bear hug.
“You stupid motherfucker.”
I laughed, as he squeezed me before putting me down. “Who’s looking after the-”
“Shh…” Ollie said, pressing one of his huge fingers against my lips. “Less talking, more playing the victim. Nice shiner, by the way.”
I chuckled as I closed the door.
In my scuffle with Jake, I had sustained quite a few blows to my face. Most had started to fade, but the black eye was still there. “Joey likes it.”
“Bullshit.” Ollie chuckled, putting his backpack to the side. “How is she?”
“Still asleep.”
Joey had lost unconsciousness in my arms on the way back to the hospital. She’d woken for a few moments, when we’d got there, and then again after her transfusion. But the doctor who treated her said she’d sustained some internal bruising and her body was very weak. Her sleeping so much was its way of trying to heal.
“Not with you two noisy buggers around.”
I turned, looking back to the door of the room.
Joey was leaning against the frame, her eyes a little glazed over, but awake. I went to her, taking her gently by the arm. “I’m sorry, doll. Here, let me get you back to bed.”
She shook her arm free, and walked past me, going to Oliver, who enveloped her in a massive hug. “Hey, Ollie.”
“Hey, Princess.” He said, kissing the top of her head. “You gave us a bit of a scare.”
She giggled and I leaned against the doorframe, watching her with my best friend, and smiled. Joey stepped back from Ollie and looked up at him. “Who’s running the-”
“Oh my god.” Ollie huffed, throwing his hands up in the air. “You two are fucking incredible. Mama Mori is running the clan. Jade is helping. The baby is fine. I am here, for the trial and to take you two back home.”
Joey blinked, looking at me, and I grimaced.
Shit…
“Trial? What trial?”
I looked at Oliver, who tried to smile at me, but it came out in a grimace. “Sorry.”
“It’s fine.” I walked over to Joey and took her arm gently, taking her to the little kitchenette. I made her a coffee and sat it in front of her. “Yamota and Jake are going to be having a trial, in two days‘ time.”
Joey blinked at me. “Jake’s alive?”
I nodded. “Yes, he’s alive.”
It had been close though. The knife had entered his stomach, ripping open the side of it, and his stomach acid had started to leak into his abdomen. He needed emergency surgery to fix it and save his life.
4/31
88–Alex
Joey frowned and turned to Oliver. “Is Yuka alive?”
Oliver nodded, joining us at the counter. “Yes. Thanks to you. He is alive. He needs his knee reconstructed, but he’s going to wait until we’re back in New York for that.”
Joey picked up her coffee cup, raised it to her mouth, then put it back down.
“What are they going to do with him?”
“With Jake?” I asked and she nodded. “Honestly, doll. I don’t know. But Hirano isn’t just going to let him go. Not after what he’s done.”
Joey’s bottom lip trembled. “I know… but he’s sick.”
I wanted to rant and rave at her and tell her that she was being a sentimental idiot, but in reality, she was right. He was sick.
My little brother was not himself.
Jacob would never have gone to the clans for money in the first place unless something else happened. I had done what any concerned brother had done, and had dug deeper into his life.
Mom thought he’d been with the gangs for six months.
He’d been with them for close to eight years.
Eight whole fucking years, my little brother had been in with Yamota.
The reason.
Me.
Yamota had seen the way I had risen in the ranks of Yuka’s clan, no more than a year earlier, and he had sought out my little brother, thinking he had another version of me in the making.
Yamota groomed him, giving him gifts and telling him how great he could be, that he could be just like his big brother.
The problem was, Jake still hated me, for smacking him in the nose two years earlier, and he held onto that resentment and used it like a shield; and when Jake turned sixteen and was officially allowed to be inducted into the clan, he leaped at the opportunity to be better than me.
The problem was… it was for the wrong Yakuza boss.
If Jake had come to me and said ‘hey bro, I want in” I probably would have first told him to go and finish school, then I might think about it, and secondly, I would have warned him away from the life. It wasn’t something any sixteen–year–old kid should mingle with, in the hopes he would listen.
If he had come to me after both of those, then I would have taken him under my wing and taught him the honor of being clan.
“I hope Hirano goes easy on him.” Oliver said and I came back to the conversation.
“I hope so too.” Joey said. “I mean, nothing excuses him for what he did. But he’s not well.”
“Either way,” I said and both Oliver and Joey looked at me. “We have to respect the decision.” “And your parents?” Joey asked. “What of them?”
I frowned. Yuka and I had this discussion only a few hours earlier.
My parents wouldn’t be safe in Miami anymore.
Not with what Jake had done to the Yamota Clan.
Yuka offered to rehome them, and my grandparents to New York. To give them a store in East Village they could run, which would be supported by the clan. I told him I would offer it to them, but I knew, if it came to being offered something by the clan, my grandmother would probably pitch a fit.
But I would offer.
“Yuka has invited them to move to New York.”
“Oh.”
Oliver stood, “Well, I need to go and see Yuka. Jade wants me to Facetime him, so he can see his grandson. Hiro has been pining for him.”
2/3
88- Alex
“Aww.” Joey said, smiling.
“And you.” Ollie said. “He keeps asking for Jojo.”
Joey grinned, “Oh my stars! I am going to have to squeeze the little pudding when I get back. Tell Jade we will see her in a couple of days.”
“Will do.”
Oliver left and Joey turned back to me. “What?”
“You’re not going.”
“Not going where?” She asked innocently, and I raised an eyebrow.
“To the trial.”
“Like fuck I’m not.” She huffed at me.
“Jolene.”
“Don’t you ‘Jolene‘ me in that tone of voice, Alexander.”
“Joey, doll. Love of my life…”
“Sweet–talking me won’t help either.” She giggled and I rolled my eyes at her. “I am going.”
“Joey. Jake tried to kill you.” I looked at the bruises around her throat. “He literally tried to strangle you to death, and you want to go say hi?”
“I don’t want to go say hi. Alex. I want to go and look him in the eye, while I stand by your side, so he knows he didn’t win. He didn’t get what he wanted.” Joey pushed the cup to the side and reached for my hand. I stepped forward and leaned my elbows on the bench and let her take them, playing with the clan ring that sat on my right ring finger. “One day, when this is all over, and we settle back into a routine. Maybe I might find some strength to forgive him. But right now, I just want to show him I am happy with you and only you and no matter what he offered, it was never going to make me choose him over you.”
I blinked and lifted my hand, cupping her chin. “What did he offer?”
Joey looked up at me, her green eyes shining with unshed tears. “Everything. Money, a house, marriage, babies.”
“You want babies?”
Joey closed her eyes, pursing her lips and nodded. “I know you don’t want them, but yeah I-”
I leaned forward, kissing her, crushing her beautiful soft lips to mine, before pulling away and resting my head against hers. “If you want them, Joey. We can have babies.”
