by Jade Kuzma
She spun around and greeted both of us with a smile.
“Hey,” she said.
“Wow,” Garnet said as he slowly walked toward her. “I heard you were back in town but I wouldn’t believe it if I didn’t see it with my own eyes.”
“It’s good to see you, too, Declan.”
She said Garnet’s real name like he was a brother. In her case, with as close as they’d been before she left, that was almost the case.
Garnet leaned forward and gave her a tight hug.
“Welcome back to the clubhouse,” Garnet said.
“Actually, I was just visiting. There was some business I needed to talk about with Jon.”
“Business, huh?”
Garnet eyeballed me. He was a few years older than me but you couldn’t tell at the moment. I suppose I would’ve seen the humor in the situation if he wasn’t so obnoxious about it.
“Yeah,” I said. “Business. So, why don’t you excuse us? I’m sure Michelle’s got some shit for you to do.”
“I’m sure she does,” Garnet said with a laugh.
He slapped me on the back as he started walking away.
“You’ve always got a place here, Anna,” he said. “You know there’s no home like The Grindhouse.”
I shook my head as soon as Garnet was gone.
“I see he hasn’t changed,” Anna said with a giggle.
“Why would he? You think five years would mature him or something?”
“I guess not.”
She smiled at me. That smile of hers was enough to make me forget about all the shit we just talked about in the meeting.
“Have a seat,” I said. “You want something to drink?”
“Jon. It’s the middle of the afternoon.”
“That never stopped you before.”
“Before. Things are a little different now.”
“Okay, okay,” I said as I put my hands up.
“Actually, I’m heading back to the shelter now. I just wanted to stop by and talk to you.”
“What is it?”
“I talked to Jackie. She’s the one in charge of the shelter. I told her about having some of the Reapers stop by and volunteer.”
There was a bit of concern on her face that confused me.
“What did she say?”
“She has some reservations,” she said. “She knows what kind of reputation the clubs have in this town. The Black Reapers are not an exception.”
“That’s fair.”
“She’s willing to let some of you volunteer on a trial basis. I figured you would be the best candidate to let her know that the Reapers aren’t all bad people. Maybe you could bring someone along with you.”
“Sully,” I said without hesitating. “He’s already a volunteer with the firefighters. The guy’s a town hero. He’s done a lot of good in Ivory already. I’m sure Jackie wouldn’t mind having someone like him around.”
“Okay… That sounds like a good deal.”
Anna smiled at me, biting her lip to stop her grin from growing even wider. I would’ve been just fine standing right in front of her and staring at her. She knew she had a spell on me. But the way she looked at me told me she wasn’t completely against it.
“Well, I should probably get back to the shelter. I just started and Jackie won’t be too happy about me not working my hours.”
I grabbed her hand just before she could walk away.
“Wait,” I said. “There’s something else.”
“What is it?”
“The club’s having a cookout this weekend. Friends. Family. They’re all invited. I want you to come.”
“Cookouts… You guys still do that, huh?”
“Why would we ever stop?”
“Does Declan still think he knows how to cook?”
“He does. But Michelle is always there to keep him in check. You don’t have to worry about eating anything undercooked or overcooked.”
We shared a laugh.
“Yeah,” she said with a nod. “I’ll talk to Jackie and see if I could get some time off—”
“You can invite her, too.”
She shook her head.
“I don’t know,” she said, giggling. “Inviting an old woman like Jackie to the clubhouse… I doubt she’d be comfortable.”
“You and I both know there’s no safer place to be than in The Grindhouse.”
Anna sighed a deep breath and nodded.
“I’ll talk to her,” she said. “No promises.”
“That’s all I want.”
I kept her hand in my grip. Her cheeks started to blush as I tried to pull her close to me. I should’ve forced her. With any other woman I would have, but not with Anna.
She tugged her hand free from mine and slowly backed away.
“I’ll see you this weekend,” she said. “You can stop by the shelter if you feel like volunteering earlier though.”
“Yeah, maybe I will.”
Anna kept her eyes locked on me before turning around. I watched her hips shake with every step as she left.
A sudden hand on my shoulder broke me out of my daze. I turned and saw Needle smiling at me.
“We need a fifth,” he said.
“I’m not in the mood right now,” I replied.
“Small shipment this weekend means we’re all gonna be making some money. Why don’t you spend some of it ahead of time?”
“It’s not spending it if I take it from you.”
“Big words from a little man.”
“Meet me at the table. You know you can’t beat me at poker.”
“We’ll see about that.”
Chapter 7
ANNA
Jon stayed true to his word and showed up to the shelter with another Reaper. It gave me an opportunity to show him just how much the place needed a renovation. But it was an even better opportunity for Jackie to see that Jon’s help was something that the shelter needed.
She was still skeptical. I couldn’t blame her.
A few days of community service didn’t count for much but it was something. It made the workweek go by quicker.
A week in Ivory and I was already getting settled back in. The place I called home for so many years felt like that so quickly. The cookout I was at felt more familiar than anything else I’d done so far.
“How did you get a name like Sully?”
He gave me a puzzled look.
“What do you mean?” he said.
“I mean, it had to have come from somewhere,” I said.
“I don’t know,” he said with a shrug. “I think it was Needle who said it first. I guess everybody has some story behind their name but not for me. That’s just my name.”
“Sullivan…”
“That’s right.”
He was younger than every other club member. His dark-brown hair was short on his head. His gray eyes were striking. And he had the physique of a man who looked like he really was a volunteer firefighter. He also had the tattoos to go along with being a club member.
“Well, it suits you,” I said with a laugh. “Don’t ever change it.”
“Don’t worry. I won’t.”
Jon walked over and took a seat at the bar next to me.
“What are you two talking about?” he said.
“Anna here was just curious about how I got my name… Speaking of which… I never did figure out why they call you Ghost.”
“Yeah, that’s right. You never did.”
Jon and I looked at one another. I couldn’t help but grin from the look on his face.
“Of course,” Dorian said as he rolled his eyes. “First Needle and now you. Fine, fine. Keep your secrets. I don’t give a shit either way.”
Dorian got up from his seat and Jon took his place.
“He’s a young one,” I said.
“I was younger when I first patched in. And we’ve got a younger guy who’s a prospect right now. Nate.”
“That’s the way to do it. Get ‘em while they
’re young and don’t know any better.”
I grinned at Jon. He widened his eyes in surprise before chuckling softly at me. I sipped on my beer to stop my smile from growing any wider.
“What do you think?” he asked.
I looked around the clubhouse. Club members and friends of the club were mingling among one another. Their conversations were all smiles. They were laughing and drinking without a care in the world.
If you didn’t know anything about the Reapers, you would have assumed they were a friendly bunch just from how happy everybody seemed.
“There’s nothing quite like a Reaper cookout,” I said.
Jon reached forward and put his hand on my thigh.
“I’m glad you could come out,” he said.
“It’s the least I could do. You and Dorian got a lot of work done. Some of the people at the shelter are in a better mood than usual.”
“Jackie?”
“She’s not completely convinced that you’re an angel.”
“I’ll never be able to convince her of that.”
“No, you won’t,” I said with a laugh. “But she’s not completely against the idea of getting more help from the club either. The truth is, the shelter needs as much help as it can get. There’s a lot of people in this town who need someone. I’m just glad to be doing my part.”
“You’re a good woman, Anna. Don’t ever change.”
I looked away from him as my cheeks started to blush. Before I could embarrass myself any further, a voice interrupted us.
“Hey.”
I turned my head up and saw Michelle walking toward us. She looked at Jon.
“The president wants to have a talk with you,” she said.
“About what?” Jon said.
“I don’t know. Maybe he wants to help you fix the grill. There’s only one way to find out.”
Jon rolled his eyes and turned to me.
“I’ll be right back.”
I watched Jon walk away then shifted my eyes toward Michelle.
Even though she had half of a smirk on her lips, I knew something was on her mind. She always had that look. I’d known her long enough that I was used to it.
“So… How’s Ivory treating you?” she asked.
“Ivory is home. It’s treating me well.”
“You getting settled in?”
“I’m getting settled in just fine,” I sighed.
“And what about Jon?”
“…What about Jon?”
Michelle crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow at me.
“I don’t know what you’re up to—”
“I’m not up to anything,” I interrupted her.
I clenched my jaw as I stared at her.
“I’ve known him longer than you have,” she said.
“Good for you.”
“I know what kind of man he is. I was here when you left him.”
“Like I said, good for you.”
“Do you know what you put that man through right after you left? Do you know what you did to him?”
It was obvious what Michelle was trying to get at. I looked away from her and let her drone on with everything she had on her mind.
“He’s VP of the club,” she said. “He has to have his head on straight. He never got over you but he dealt with it. Now after all these years, you come waltzing back into town like nothing’s wrong.”
“Look. Jon is a grown man. He’s capable of making his own decisions. He can sort his feelings out for himself. And if he has something to say to me, he can say it. He doesn’t need you to speak for him.”
She smirked at me and shook her head.
“That’s just it,” she said. “Jon loves you too much to let you know how much you broke his heart. It tore him to pieces when you left. But it would be even worse for him to admit it to you.”
“What do you want from me, Michelle?”
She took a step toward me.
“I don’t know what you’re up to,” she said. “Maybe you’re just friends. Maybe you’re just discussing business. But I have a responsibility to the president and this club. I have to look out for everybody. That includes Jon.”
“I’m not up to anything. Jon is my friend. He’ll always be my friend. Whatever feelings he does or doesn’t have, he’s a strong enough man to deal with them. I know that because he’s my friend.”
She kept glaring at me like she was trying to intimidate me. That cold stare. That demeanor. Even her posture would have made a weaker woman crumble. But I wasn’t about to back down from a woman like her.
“Hey.”
I shifted my eyes away from her and saw Jon walking back toward us.
“Garnet needs you on the grill,” he said to Michelle.
Michelle kept her eyes locked on me and nodded. She didn’t say another word before turning around and walking away.
Jon took a seat back in front of me.
“What was that all about?” I said.
“Garnet was having trouble hooking up the propane.”
“After all these years he still doesn’t know what he’s doing.”
“I think he does. He just wants to let the other club members do the work for him.”
“Yeah…”
I laughed softly and looked down at the ground. I could feel Jon’s eyes on me, my thoughts still on the conversation I just had with Michelle.
“What’s up?” he said.
“It’s nothing,” I said I looked back up at him.
“Don’t bullshit me. I know you well enough to know when you’re lying to me.”
“Yeah,” I sighed. “I guess you do.”
“What is it?”
I hesitated for a second. Jon widened his eyes in curiosity. The rugged biker sitting in front of me had a way of looking intense but patient all at the same time.
“Michelle isn’t too happy with me,” I said.
“Why? What did you do?”
“I think it has something to do with me, I don’t know, leaving Ivory five years ago.”
I smiled softly at him. He nodded but didn’t say anything.
“I’m sorry,” I said. “I had to go. I had to look out for myself. It wouldn’t be right for me to stick around. I had to leave—”
“You had to look out for yourself. That’s the only person you should be looking out for. You don’t owe me or Michelle or anybody else an explanation. You shouldn’t have any regrets about leaving.”
I sipped some beer to deal with my suddenly dry throat. I looked down at the ground as I said it.
“Is it true?”
“Is what true?”
“That you never got over me. Even after all these years…”
We were surrounded by rowdy conversation all over the bar but it felt like we were the only two people in the entire world. It might as well have been completely silent from Jon’s lack of response.
I slowly turned my head up to make sure that he was still there.
He stared back at me. His eyes narrowed, intense like they always were.
“How are you doing, Miss Roberts?”
I looked to the side and saw Sheriff Sutton standing there. The old cop greeted me with a bow of his head and friendly smile.
“Sheriff!” I exclaimed. “What are you doing here?”
“What else? I’m an old man. I can’t turn down some free barbecue.”
I looked over at the young cop standing next to him. His hair was combed neatly. There was an innocent look on his face. He looked like a schoolboy. The way his uniform was unwrinkled only made him look even less intimidating than he already was.
“Hey,” the man greeted me. “Officer Rose. You can call me Ben.”
“Anna,” I said as I shook his hand.
“It’s nice to meet you—”
“That’s all fine and well,” Sutton interrupted him. “Where’s the food at?”
“It’ll be around back,” Jon said. “Garnet’s just getting started with Michelle but I’m sure th
ey can whip something up for you quick.”
“All right. You two take care now.”
Sutton and Ben smiled politely at me before excusing themselves to the back. Everything I was just thinking about a few moments ago had left me.
“Since when did you invite cops to your cookouts?” I said.
“There’s nothing wrong with getting in good with the cops.”
“I don’t know. The cops are the only honest people in this town. I’d hate to think that the Reapers are having any influence on the Sheriff’s Department.”
“Maybe the Sheriff’s Department is having some influence on the Reapers.”
I scoffed and laughed at the thought. Jon always talked about never dealing with the ‘pigs’ as he called them.
“What do you think, Anna? The Black Reapers and the Sheriff’s Department working together.”
“With you volunteering at the shelter and now cops being welcomed to your clubhouse, I guess I should believe anything.”
“The safest place for you to be is right here in The Grindhouse.”’
He smirked at me. That charming smile of his was enough to make me regret that I’d spent the last five years away from him.
Chapter 8
ANNA
The day went on. Everybody stuffed themselves with more beer and more food. The scene at the clubhouse was as rowdy as it had ever been. Despite the chaos, there was still a friendly vibe throughout the entire bar. It helped that Sheriff Sutton was there to keep everything in order.
Jon introduced me to some of the friends of the club. I stayed by his side the entire time as they told me stories about all the years I’d missed out on. I’d been in town for a few days but I truly felt like I was back home, surrounded by so many people who welcomed me with open arms. Even Michelle wasn’t giving me as hard of a time as he did initially. I couldn’t have asked for anything more.
It was later in the evening when Jon and I were enjoying our time outside in front of the bar. I sat in my chair while Jon smoked a cigarette and sipped on his beer.
He was the picture of a man I fell for so easily all those years ago. Tan skin inked with tattoos all over his sleeves. Leather kutte with the Black Reapers logo emblazoned upon it. Even his thick beard and hair were groomed properly. Oh, and then there were the muscles that I knew were hidden underneath his outfit.
