Eros

The Red Reaper - 35

Not long after they had entered the warm house, the gang arrived. Naturally, rum arrived with them and spilled ever so freely. Even the kid was given a drop, although Niki smacked Fat Sam for it. Instead of sympathy, Alora was ashamed to feel envious of her. Seeing her recalling nostalgic stories of William's deeds, sharing laughs, and shedding tears with the men that were like family to her reminded Alora of her own loss. A loss she never got to mourn, with nobody left to mourn it with. She found her hand reaching to the rum bottle by itself. Its acrid taste no longer stung the way it used to, and slid down her throat without revolt.

A few hours later, Niki laid on the couch, hugging her slumbering son against her as she dozed into sleep.

"I will be leaving tomorrow morning." Kaido broke the silence.

"What!" Nuts called, shooting up from his seat. "Why would you leave us now?"

"We need you, Kaido." Sam spoke, and unlike Nuts, he didn't sound angry, only sad. "More than ever, now that's William gone."

Silence came again. Kaido got up from his chair, grabbed the sack at Alora's feet and emptied it on the table. The bandits' jaws slacked as three hundred gold pieces spilled from it.

Kaido cracked his lopsided grin. "You didn't really think I would leave you empty handed, did you?"

They stared at him dumbfounded as he sat down and began arraying the pile into stacks of ten coins.

Each of the bandits shot his own version of the question 'how the fuck did you get so much money?'. Sighing, she told them of the arena.

"The two of you beat a hundred gladiators?" Nuts asked wide eyed.

"Yeah, and I'm The Conqueror." Sam scoffed.

"I know Kaido, and I've seen you aren't half bad yourself, but that sounds impossible." Even Rock voiced his doubt.

"Quiet now." Kaido raised his voice over theirs, thirty golden towers standing at the table before him.

They all listened intently as Kaido pushed ten of the towers apart from the rest. "A hundred goes to paying the debt on this house."

"Twenty," He slid another two towers to one side, and three to the other. "Is your safety net. Whatever fucking mess you get into, you have enough money to keep yourselves alive and keep food on Niki's table. Give the other thirty to Niki herself, she can use them however she sees fit."

"I hope you dimwits remember something about running an inn." Kaido received confused stares from around the table, and explained. "I negotiated with Lo', he'll sell you the place for a hundred and ten pieces."

"You're not buying us a fucking inn Kaido, we can't ask you for this much. We can take care of ourselves." Sam said, frowning.

Kaido glared at him. "You all gotta quit thieving, once and for all. As bad as Vitroz was, this place is worse, and you can't take the risk. Not when Niki might depend on you."

"I guess you're right, but still Kaido, for fuck sake, it's over a hundred gold pieces." Sam said and Nuts nodded in agreement.

"Stop being a little bitch Sam. My money, my choice."

"You really like being poor, don't you Kaido?" Sam's eyes narrowed.

A grin tugged the corner of Kaido's mouth. "Keeps me sharp."

Sam breathed a laugh, shaking his head from side to side.

"You have to at least take the rest." Nuts said.

"No, you'll need them for a head start buying supplies." Kaido answered, and after a brief pause added: "And for my last request. Do not, by any means, mess with the Syndicate. Pay the protection fee, and don't try buying drugs and alcohol that aren't theirs."