Page 78 of Venom
I’m in awe of my fucking wife.
I blow her a kiss, and she grins wider as she walks past the dean and I look towards a very proud-looking Gregory, who has his hand over his mouth, his other hand on his hip, shock written all over him.
“She sits for the bar next week,” I admit as Raya moves back towards her seat while her classmates walk the stage, and he looks at me with wide eyes. I grin and admit, “She wants to become a family lawyer, hoping to join your practice part-time while still working at the firehouse.”
His chin wobbles, and I chuckle as I slap his back before looking back at my girl, whose attention is on Hudson and baby Grace, giving them funny faces that make them giggle as more students walk across the stage.
“Did Raya ever tell you that I was the one who tattooed your name on her?” Psycho suddenly asks as he stands next to me, holding my five-month-old niece, Ray, named after her favorite aunt, and I look at him in shock. He grins and says, “She was eighteen and begged me not to tell you while Ivy held her hand.”
Son of a…
“You’re lucky you’re holding my niece,” I state, and he grins wider as Ray squeals in his arms, and I look to see what has her focus. I immediately melt seeing Raya rush our way, her white-blonde hair blowing behind her while her classmates all cheer and throw their caps in the air.
I grin as she throws herself at me and I catch her with a soft sigh, and I whisper, “I am so fucking proud of you, kitten,” and she whispers in return, “I love you, Cale.” And all thoughts of having a fit for allowing Psycho to tat her goes out of the window.
“I love you too, Raya,” I reply, kissing her neck before I gently place her feet on the floor, and she tickles Ray, who squeals again for her favorite aunt.
“I cannot believe you didn’t throw your cap,” Psycho says, and Raya snorts and replies, “I didn’t feel like celebrating with the girls beside me. They were in my class, never paid attention and only passed because they sucked off the professor.”
Psycho pulls a disgusted face, and she laughs, “They’ve also been eyeing you all up.”
“And I’m out,” he declares, making us laugh as he kisses her head and whispers, “Proud of you, sweetheart,” and she smiles before he walks over to my sister, who is waiting patiently with everyone else, knowing Raya needs to speak to her parents before they bombard her.
“Raya,” Gregory chokes and she looks at him with a fondness only a daughter can and she whispers, “Thank you for always being there for me, even when I tried to push you out,” Grace lets out a sob, most likely remembering when Raya sat her down and explained how she faked losing her memory so she didn’t get committed again, hurting Gregory in the process, as Raya continues, “Thank you for guiding me and giving me the passion to do this and help families,” Gregory’s tears fall as Raya finishes, “Thank you for being my dad when I lost my best friend and struggled to grieve. Thank you for allowing me to be your daughter, a role I am proud to have.”
I grin wide as he opens his arms and she walks into them, holding him tightly as she whispers, “I love you, Dad,” and Gregory breaks, squeezing her tightly, and it takes everything in me not to pull her back.
He doesn’t know, I have to remind myself.
I look at the club to help distract me and notice that most of the women are recording their moment, tears in their eyes, while the brothers all cheer and clap, making Raya giggle as she pulls back, and everyone surrounds her as Gregory stands beside me.
“You’ve brought her back,” he whispers, “gave her, her spark back.”
I half smile and admit, “She brought herself back, I was just there to help her up.”
“Thank you, Venom,” he says, and I look at him, “Thank you for always being what she needed, even over the years, you sparring with her, it kept her going.”
I look back at Raya as we lock eyes and I smile and admit, “I’ll always keep her going, until my dying breath,” meaning every word.
“We should tell them,” I whisper in my girl's ear as she leans her back against me and watches as the club celebrates my girl graduating two hours later.
“Isn’t it too early?” she whispers back with a little bit of worry, and I hold her a little tighter.
I understand she’s scared. She thinks her past will destroy her future, that bad karma will catch up with her, but she’s wrong. We deserve this. I mean, it wasn’t planned, so it clearly was meant to happen.
“You’re twelve weeks pregnant, kitten, you’ve passed the first trimester,” I remind her as I gently rub her stomach, a small bump appearing, and she takes a deep breath and voices her fear as she says, “What if I lose it?”
I gently kiss her head and remind her, “The doctor has said everything looks perfect. Celebrate this, kitten, celebrate the life we’re about to bring into the world, let the family celebrate, and more importantly, let’s get my sister off our backs about starting a family before I shoot her, and then Psycho shoots me.”
She snorts before sighing and tilts her head so her lips touch my neck, giving me shivers even years later.
Kids are squealing, Luna is waddling, pregnant with the second set of twins, the poor woman, as she watches her five-month-old little boy, Callum, crawl around the room with his siblings following, fucking Blade not giving her a rest, and Lake is running after her kids while Skylar sits with Tate and her son sleeps in his big sister's arms.
Now is the time, and I know she’s ready, she’s just scared.
“You ready?” I ask, and she shakes her head, making me chuckle. Then she nods slightly, and I grin, looking around the room.
I lock eyes with Blade, who tilts his head, and I nod as I rub Raya’s stomach, making him grin wide, being the only one who knows, and he places two fingers in his mouth and whistles loudly, gaining everyone’s attention.
