by Blue Saffire
chapter Thirty-Six
The Protector
Kamara
I yawn, covering my mouth, while I scramble eggs on the stove. Our engagement party was amazing. We danced the night away in the room fit for a king and queen.
Our family and friends surrounding us. It made me wonder how long Toby had been planning it all. I’m excited about leaving this afternoon for Ireland.
I cannot wait to see what’s in store for our wedding. We’re leaving first thing this afternoon. Thank God, Toby had the foresight to have our things packed for us.
I’m a bit of a nervous wreck. This will be my third flight ever. I was so scared, when I flew to America as a fifteen-year-old. It wasn’t any better when I flew alone with the twins to Seattle.
Then there is the wedding. I don’t know what to expect. Toby reassured me that it would be perfect. My mother said I have nothing to worry about, I will have the perfect Nigerian wedding.
My mind has yet to form the right image of a perfect Nigerian wedding, in the middle of Ireland. This shall prove interesting. I think back to Toby in his kilt, all those years ago. I wonder if he’ll be wearing one on our wedding day.
I want the wedding to be as much a part of him, as it is me. Although, in my head, that makes for one very busy wedding. I laugh out loud at my thoughts.
I go to start making a second helping of eggs, hearing noise at the front door. Toby ran out for coffee and orange juice. We were out of both. TJ and Lulu insisted on staying the night with their Uncle Felix. Apparently, he has some new game or gaming system the twins wanted to play.
Those two are so advanced for their age, when it comes to electronics. I think it’s because Felix talks to them like little adults about his gadgets. Lulu seems to suck it all right up.
“That was fast,” I smile, while stirring the eggs in the pan.
When I hear nothing, I look up. I gasp, finding two strange men glaring at me, in the middle of my kitchen. My heart starts to race, my mind scrabbling for a way out of this. My eyes dart around the kitchen quickly.
“It is time you come home, Princess,” one of the men hisses at me.
The same man lunges at me, my brain snaps into action. I pick up the hot pan and swing it at the one heading towards me. I make contact.
I know I have, as I hear the sound of the frying pan collide with flesh and bone. His cry of pain follow swiftly after. Yet, the blow is not enough. The man with the now blistered face and swelling eye, growls at me.
Before I can strike again, the other man comes up behind me, grabbing my wrist. I cry out in pain, as he tightens his grip. The frying pan falls from my grasp.
All I can think of is my children and my husband. I’m grateful they are not here, but my heart aches that they are about to lose me. All we have done, all the hiding I’ve done all my life, and it ends like this. I finally reveal myself and the darkness has come for me.
~B~
Toby
Everything went perfectly last night. I’m tired as fuck, but I know my girl had the time of her life. Lulu’s eyes sparkled the entire night as well. I can see that I’m going to have to shell out a fortune, when my baby girl has her special day.
I don’t mind at all. As long as, the dude is worth her time. Thank God, I have plenty of time, before I have to worry about that. I don’t think my heart is ready to handle the thought of anyone wanting to date my daughter. Not now, and certainly not when it’s time for that.
I chuckle to myself, as I place the bag of coffee and orange juice in the car. We could have waited to eat on the plane, but I was starving just as much as Kamara. We still have a few hours before it’s time to get on the flight.
I get ready to call my dad to see if he and my mom will be ready, when my phone goes nuts. I know right away it is the emergency alarm for my house. I floor it without even thinking.
I dial Felix right away to find out what the fuck is going on. He will have access to the camera system on my property. I’m not that far from home.
“The alarm has been tripped from outside. I’m logging in now to see what’s going on,” Felix says, without greeting.
“My kids are still with you?”
“Yeah, they’re eating cereal. Otherwise, I’d be doing this from my car. John, Noah, Brax, and Ry already texted in. They’re on the move,” Felix replies.
“You have eyes?”
“The fuck,” Felix roars. “Your house is surrounded. I have two moving into the house.”
I gun the car faster, darting around a car moving too slow in front of me. I hear Felix tapping away on the other end. The call drops, but Felix’s voice comes back through the speakers.
“Okay, everyone, I’m patched into everyone’s cars. Dad and Wyatt are on the move now as well. You want to split up. I need a team at the back of the house and one at the front,” Felix orders.
“I’m a block away,” Braxton returns.
“Yeah, I’m here as well,” John replies.
“We’ll take the back,” Wyatt’s voice comes in.
“I don’t mind the front door one bit,” Noah growls.
“Where’s Kamara, Fel,” I demand.
“She just smacked the fuck out of a guy with a frying pan. You guys need to get in there now,” my brother answers, as I come to a screeching halt in front of my home.
I have the gun from my glove compartment in hand already. I take out the first two motherfuckers I see without so much as a thought. It’s like I walk right through them.
Noah and Dad do the same thing. Taking out targets as they climb from they’re cars like its nothing. Even though my property is pretty private, each of us show courtesy to the neighborhood with silencers on our pieces. Not to mention, wanting to do this a stealthily as possible to keep Kamara from getting hurt.
I move through my front door hugging the wall. I can hear Kamara’s screams for help. It tears at my heart, but I stay focused.
When I turn the corner, I see my wife being held by one guy, while another with a burned and swollen face stands before her. He is hissing something to her too low for me to hear. When her ripped t-shirt and exposed breast comes into view, I feel my sanity slip.
I aim at the fucker with the burnt face and blow his head off his shoulders. I move just as quickly to step behind the stunned asshole that is still holding onto Kamara. He has a dumbfounded look on his face, while looking down at his dead friend.
“Get your hands the fuck off my wife, before I blow your brains out next,” I hiss in his ear, my gun to his head.
He releases Kamara quickly. My dad grabs Kamara moving her to safety. I get ready to pull the trigger, but Noah’s voice stops me.
“You don’t want to do that,” he says. “We can assume we know where they came from, but it is better to be sure. Everyone else is useless. He’s the last one.”
“I know nothing. I don’t speak English,” the asshole before me starts to yell, in Kwäzē’s native language.
“That’s alright. I can understand you just fine,” I reply in his own dialect. I can see in the reflection of the refrigerator that he understands me. I have shocked the shit out of him once again, and this time I think it’s literally.
I shove him forward. “Get his shitty ass out of my face before I put a bullet through his skull,” I growl.
Ryan and Brax groan, when everyone looks at them. This type of shit always gets tossed on them. They move into action, while Wyatt gets on the phone to put in a few calls. We have a front and backyard to clean up and a police department to keep at bay.
I know my brother will handle it. That’s the least of my worries. “John, can you call Felix. Have him check on my in-laws,” I say to my brother.
“On it,” he nods.
Noah and Wyatt follow me in to the living room, where Dad is sitting with a rattled Kamara. She’s holding one of the twins’ blankets to her chest and she’s visibly shaken.
“I want a gun,” she blurts out when she sees me.
“N
o,” I press my lips.
“I want to learn to fight, like Nellie,” she follows with.
“No,” I repeat.
“Toby,” Noah interjects and I know what he is going to say.
I hold my hand up. “It’s not the way her father wanted her raised. It’s not what I will allow now. She has enough people around to keep her safe.”
Wyatt snorts. “It doesn’t hurt for her to at least know how.”
“No,” I say again.
I see the look in Noah’s eyes. I know that look. “I said no, Noah,” I snap.
He holds his hands up and grins. “I’m not saying nothing.”
“This is not over,” Kamara murmurs defiantly.
“We’ll see,” I retort.
“We will,” she pouts, narrowing her eyes at me.
chapter Thirty-Seven
Ireland
Kamara
I know both Lulu and TJ are too big for me to try to carry them both at once. Despite that fact, I’ve been clinging to my children, since they arrived on the tarmac with Felix in California. I just need to have them close.
Our flight didn’t leave on time. That whole mess at the house had to be taken care of. Toby disappeared with his brothers for a few hours, before coming to Joe and Cass’s house to pick me up.
Now, here we are in Ireland. I want to think I’m safer here, miles away from California. Truth is, I only feel safe when Toby has his arms wrapped around me.
I knew this all wouldn’t be easy, but everything could have changed in the blink of an eye this morning. If Toby had been a few minutes, even seconds later, I could have lost my life or worse.
It will take some time for me to recover from that. I shiver as I remember the one I hit with the frying pan. His blistered face staring back at me. His rank breath pouring over me, when he tore my shirt and hit me across the face.
When I recounted the event, Toby looked like he wanted to kill him again. I squeeze my arms around TJ and Lulu. I’m so glad they were not there.
Toby kisses the side of my temple. “You can relax here. Nothing moves here, without my family knowing it first,” Toby reassures me.
“Aye, Lass,” Cass says, after she inhales a deep breath. “Ye be home here. Ye could run naked in the streets, screaming at the top of ye lungs. No one would dare touch ye. Yer a Black, kin to the McGowans. My brothers would skin the lot of ‘em alive for trying ye.”
The pride in Cass’s words makes me smile. She’s been talking about her brothers for hours. Almost the entire flight. I can’t wait to meet the McGowan side of the family.
“Uncle Jonah said he wanted to see us first,” Noah grins like a big kid.
Toby leans into my ear. “Nine times out of ten Uncle Jonah has a gift for Noah. Not that he doesn’t give the rest of us anything. Noah just gets the good shit,” Toby chuckles.
“Really,” I laugh.
“Yeah, I stopped pouting about it years ago. Uncle Jonah just tells everyone to mind their damn business, and throws the equivalent to a hundred dollars at the rest of us,” Toby shrugs with a smile.
“Uncle Jonah said,” Brax mocks. “This shit ain’t about you or Uncle Jonah. I say we head for where the food is. Aunt Sophia has to have a spread for us.”
“Are you hungry, Baby? Brax’s has a point. We would want to go to Uncle Jack and Aunt Sophia’s for food,” Toby grins.
“Ye all will not be embarrassing me. Jonah better get his arse to my mother’s. That’s where we’re all going and that’s where Sophia has been cooking,” Cass fusses.
Brax and Ry rub their bellies. I laugh taking in the family banter. We all pile into the waiting SUVs. Toby takes TJ to hold him in his lap. I tighten my hold on Lulu and snuggle into Toby’s side.
I fall asleep during the ride to the house, or should I say estate. When I blink my eyes open, we are in front of a large stone estate like home, with acres and acres of green all around it. Toby rubs my thigh, his eyes trained on my face, watching my reaction.
A smile lights up my face. This reminds me of home more than Toby could ever know. Lulu and TJ rush to the window to look out, already fully awake.
“Look, Mommy, look,” Lulu sings.
“I see, Baby,” I laugh, at my child’s excitement.
“Come on, we have a ton of family to meet and a wedding to get ready for,” Toby croons.
“Is the wedding today?” I ask in a panic.
Toby laughs, leaning to peck my lips. “No, you get to spend two days with my crazy family to see if you want to change your mind.
I burst into laughter. “Nope, you are stuck with me. No changing my mind here,” I purr and kiss him back.
“Come on, Mommy,” Lulu calls, wiggling her way between me and her father.
I give her a side glance, when she wraps are arms around her father’s neck. I swear, the little girl is giving me a smug grin. Terrible twos and then some, with these little ones.
“Mommy, can we go in there,” TJ asks, sweetly.
“Come on,” Toby says, opening the door.
My eyes almost pop out of my head as nine, yes, I count nine huge red haired men, all the same color as Cass’s, coming out of the front door. All tall, all extremely handsome. The four older looking men, rush to Cass, taking turns scooping the little woman off her feet.
I can tell right away these are her beloved brothers, Jonah, Jack, Raymond, and Ronan McGowan. Wow. I can see why no one wanted to mess with Cass, when they were younger.
All four men are still fit for their age. From what Cass says, they are mostly in their mid to early fifties, all except Ronan, who’s forty and the baby in the family.
“King Toby,” a voice booms teasingly.
It’s one of the younger of the nine men that came out to greet us. His eyes twinkle as he walks over to where we are standing. I don’t know why I’m so startled by his blue-hazel eyes. The guys get their golden eyes from their dad. Cass has light hazel eyes herself.
“Ye know, I won’t be bowing to ye,” he booms, as he gets closer.
“Whatever, Carrick,” Toby snorts.
Carrick turns his eyes on me. He looks me over then whistles. “Aye, I see what the fuss is about. I think I’ll be needing a trip to the States,” he says, with a wolfish grin.
“Your ass already knows we don’t play that shit,” Wyatt chuckles, slapping Carrick on the back. “Roll your tongue back up and stop drooling over my sister.”
I take note that Wyatt has called me his sister. My heart swells with the title. I feel more and more like family with each day.
“Ach, just saying she’s a fine addition to the family,” Carrick shrugs.
“I was hoping youse would take him back with ye,” another handsome red head says. He has the same blue-hazel eyes as Carrick.
“Not a chance,” Toby teases.
“Come on, Graham. You know if we take Carrick, no one will be here to babysit you,” Noah chuckles, pulling Graham, the last one who spoke, into a bear hug.
“Ach, ye haven’t been here two seconds and yer already running yer gub,” Graham mutters.
“Don’t mind these two, they’re both melters. I’m Jeremiah, welcome to the family,” the tallest of the four says.
His eyes are light hazel, not so much blue. His red hair is the longest, reaching his shoulders. His smile is warm, but his eyes are serious.
“What is a melter,” I turn to ask Toby.
He laughs, pulling me into his side. “He means, they’re both annoying,” Toby explains.
“As fuck,” Braxton adds.
“For that yer buying my first pint,” Carrick points to Brax.
“Kamara these are my special cousins,” Toby introduces. “The one with the slick grin, waiting his turn to say something equally as slick is, Malcolm.”
“Fuck ye, very much,” Malcolm says in a matter of fact way, with a perfectly white smile in place.
He gives Toby the finger, before tipping an imaginary hat to me. TJ runs over to him and just star
es, as if he is in awe. I notice that Malcolm has dark brown eyes. So different from everyone else’s.
They twinkle as he looks down at TJ. “What about ye?”
TJ looks to Toby confused. Toby moves to pick TJ up. He gestures for TJ to shake Malcolm’s hand. “He’s asking you, how you are?” Toby explains. “Tell him, Aye, dead on.”
TJ looks at Malcolm and repeats after his father. “Aye, dead on.”
“Grand, we’ll make a fine Irishman at of ye, yet,” Malcolm nods, shaking TJ’s little hand.
Toby continues with the introductions through his own laughter. “The quiet one is Reilly.”
I look to the one cousin that hasn’t said a word. He seems to be soaking everything in. His sharp blue eyes meet mine and a shy smile creases his lips.
“This is my wife, Nellie,” Wyatt announces, as Nellie moves close, with Nora in her arms. “And this is my little princess, Nora.”
“So now, everyone wants to be royalty. They do.” Carrick ribs.
“Have I become such an old lass, ye don’t want to come greet me,” Cass calls, pulling away from her conversation with her brothers.
I cover my mouth as all four, big, strong, tall men turn to their aunt and blush. I watch them become four little boys. All moving to hug their aunt in turn.
“I heard ye talk of a pint. Youse boys will not be getting langered tonight. I have things I be needing from youse, tonight and in the morning,” Cass orders.
“Ye lads get the things from the cars,” One of Cass brothers speaks up.
“That’s Uncle Raymond,” Toby informs. “Go inside. Follow my mom.”
Toby winks at me, placing a kiss on my temple. I giggle when TJ follows after his father and all of the big guys. Lulu latches onto my side, content with going inside.
I finally let out a relieved breath, as the bass and boom of laughter fill the courtyard. I’ve grown accustom to the banter and teasing in the Black home. This just feels like an extension of that.
Suddenly, I look more than forward to our time here. I allow myself to become excited and it hits me. I’m going to have a real wedding.
~B~
Toby
I’m so drunk, I can’t feel my face. Once Brooklyn, Jamie, and Dylan arrived, the party really got started. I haven’t laughed so much in years. The only one of us missing is Logan, but I think we’ve drunk enough for him.
