by Jade Kuzma
“Don’t worry, Adams,” he said. “It was a good try.”
“Just give me one month, Sullivan. One month.”
Dorian gathered some of the money that had been thrown on the table. Then he walked over to me while he counted it.
“All in a day’s work,” he said with a smile.
“Is that how you make a living? Winning bets on arm wrestling? You should be ashamed of taking another man’s money.”
“I never take another man’s money. It’s their fault for betting against me. Adams has never beat me in an arm wrestling match. He should’ve known.”
Dorian stuffed his money away and leaned forward to kiss me.
“What’s going on?” I said. “Is there something you wanted to talk to me about?”
“Yeah, there is, actually. It couldn’t wait. I’m sorry about pulling you away from the bakery.”
“It’s not a problem. Lydia has everything under control. What’s up?”
“Well…”
Dorian walked out of the garage and toward his bike parked over to the side. His attitude was strange. Dorian wasn’t the type to lie to me. He was never sheepish about anything. Now it seemed like he was hiding something.
“Dorian?”
“I’ve been thinking about something. I’ve been giving it a lot of thought and…”
“And what?”
The way he was acting made me laugh. I shook my head and held my hands out.
“What is it?” I said.
He smirked at me. A smirk that let me know that he was hiding something from me.
“I was thinking that… I love you, Gina.”
“I…”
I shook my head and laughed at him.
“I know you do. And I love you, too. Is that what you were thinking about?”
“Yeah, it was.”
“Okay…”
“A lot of shit happened recently… It made me realize just how much I loved you.”
“You didn’t cheat on me, did you?”
Dorian frowned at me. I giggled and slapped him on the arm.
“I’m just kidding,” I said.
“No, it was something else… After all of the stuff that happened with the club lately… And even the business with Logan… I realize that I should be grateful to have someone like you in my life.”
The smirk had left his face. The look in those eyes of his… Those damn gray eyes… I had to stop and think about how fortunate I was to have a man like this in love with me.
“I want you in my life,” he said.
“I’m in your life. I’m not going anywhere.”
“I always want you in my life. And I want you to know that I’ll be here for you, no matter what.”
“Dorian, I—”
He suddenly fell down to one knee. I closed my eyes to make sure that I wasn’t seeing things. But when I opened them again, he was still there looking up at me.
I must be dreaming…
I stood there in disbelief while he reached into his pocket. A small band with a diamond shining on it rested in the center of his palm.
“I was thinking about how to say it,” he said. “But I know that you’re not much for romance. Neither am I, really. It’s all about how we feel. And you know how I feel about you.”
“Dorian… I…”
“It’s my grandmother’s. After my grandfather passed, she gave it to me. Told me to find someone special. I laughed when she did it but I kept it anyway. I never thought I would see the day. I never thought I would see today.”
I couldn’t stop my emotions from getting the best of me. Tears streaked down the corners of my eyes. I clenched my jaw and balled my fists to maintain my composure.
“Gina Newman. Will you marry me?”
I swallowed again and nodded.
“Y-yes… Yes… Oh, fuck yes!”
I held my hand out and watched him put the ring on my finger. Dorian stood up straight and leaned down to kiss me. I enjoyed his kiss only for just a second before we were interrupted.
“Yeah!”
“Go get her, Sullivan!”
I watched as the firefighters in the station all surrounded us in the parking lot. They congratulated the both of us with big smiles.
“I let you win because you’re gonna need that money for the wedding. Shit’s expensive.”
“I know,” Dorian sighed.
“Just make sure you invite me.”
“You got it, Adams.”
Dorian shook the man’s hand. It was only a few moments later before the firefighters all left us together. Dorian got behind me and wrapped his arms around me while I admired the ring on my finger.
“I can’t believe it,” I whispered. “The hottest guy in high school and I bagged him.”
“Ha!”
Dorian burst into laughter and kissed me on the top of my head.
“My only regret is that I hadn’t met you sooner. I wonder if things would be different if we knew each other in high school.”
“It doesn’t matter… I think things worked out for the best.”
Endgame: Chapter 24
ANNA
“Listen to me… I’m older than you.”
“You’re not that much older…”
“I’m older! And I’ve seen a lot more in this town. I know what it’s like. The Devils… That’s my MC. They’re the ones who really had this town on edge. You ever notice how old Sutton is?”
“Um… It’s hard not to notice that…”
“He remembers.”
“The Devils haven’t been relevant for years. You’re old. That means you’re not hip to the MCs that really matter in this town.”
“And I suppose you’re gonna tell me?”
Jon tapped the patched on his vest.
“The Black Reapers,” Jon said. “Chapters all across the country. We’re the only club in Ivory that matters.”
“Ha! You’ve got some confidence. I respect that. But BRIC is one of those newer MCs. I bet your president was around when it was first established.”
“What does that have to do with anything—”
“You can never beat the classics. Ivory will always be Devils town to me.”
Jon sighed in resignation and turned to me. I giggled and shrugged back at him.
Jon and Ryan were always getting into it when Jon stopped by to volunteer. Jon would go on and on about the merits of his club while Ryan would reminisce about the ‘good old days.’ The two of them never came to an agreement but that didn’t try and stop them from convincing one another that the other was wrong.
I sat and observed them most of the time. I didn’t mind keeping quiet and listening to them. Seeing the smiles on their faces was enough for me. The shelter was one of the few places in Ivory where nobody took anything for granted, even a friendly conversation.
“Just let me ask you this,” Jon said as he leaned forward across the table. “Let’s say you had some business you needed to take care of.”
“Business?” Ryan said. “You mean ‘business’?”
“That’s what I mean. What club would you go to if you needed to get it taken care of?”
The older man reared back in his seat a bit. His eyes shifted toward the ceiling while he stroked his chin.
“I suppose BRIC would be the answer,” Ryan said. “But that’s only because I’m not too up on what clubs are running this town these days.”
“Believe me, you made the right choice. The Reapers are the club people turn to when something needs to get done.”
“Well, then… It’s a pleasure to have you here, Ghost.”
“The pleasure is mine.”
“Ahem.”
I cleared my throat to get their attention.
“Maybe you should focus on eating your food instead of arguing over something so petty,” I said to Ryan.
“You’re the boss, Miss Roberts.”
Ryan gave me a wink and shoved a mouthful of food into his face. His grin was infect
ious. His teeth weren’t perfect and his face was wrinkled but the way he looked was enough to make me giggle.
The dining hall was packed like it usually was. The residents of the shelter were scattered in every direction as they had their meals for the day. The scene wasn’t anything extraordinary but it was another reminder that the people who were down on their luck could find some happiness.
“Can I talk to you for a second?” I said to Jon.
Jon nodded and we excused ourselves from the table. We walked outside and stood in front of the entrance to the shelter. It was just another ordinary, peaceful day in Ivory.
“What’s up?” he asked.
“I just wanted to say thank you.”
“Thank you?”
“The shelter has seen some real improvements.”
“The club has a lot of money to spare. You’re getting a lot of donations, too. People are aware of the shelter after that incident with the Corps. They’re doing everything they can to help.”
“That’s not what I meant.”
Jon raised an eyebrow at me. I smiled as I took his hand in mine.
“Thank you for volunteering,” I said. “It means a lot to people like Ryan for you to spend time with them. Some of them don’t get out much. They don’t have anybody to talk to. The interaction is just as important as the food they get.”
“You know it’s not a problem. I just wish Ryan would appreciate the Reapers a little more…”
I slapped him on the arm and giggled. Jon smirked at me and shrugged.
“…But I wouldn’t come here if I didn’t enjoy it. Being here by your side is important to me.”
“The shelter is important to me.”
“Then you don’t have to thank me for doing something I want to do.”
Jon leaned forward and kissed me on the lips. Our mouths lingered together. I enjoyed the taste of his tongue for a moment before gently pulling away from him.
“There’s something else,” I said.
“There is?”
I looked down at our hands. My fingers intertwined in his, I’d never felt as comfortable as I did when I was around Jon. But now, I could feel the butterflies beginning to flutter around in my stomach.
“I heard rumors,” I said.
“Rumors?”
“About Michelle and Declan.”
“What kind of rumors?”
“I heard that maybe Michelle was pregnant…”
“Oh… Right…”
Jon sighed and shook his head.
“I don’t know,” he said. “I don’t pay too much attention to things like that. That’s their business. I’m happy for them either way if that is the case.”
“Yeah, me too…”
“Anna? What’s wrong?”
“Nothing is wrong… It’s just… It got me thinking and…”
“And what?”
I put my head down. I suddenly felt so sheepish about saying it. I couldn’t look him in the eye when I finally mentioned it.
“Working in the shelter… It made me realize that maybe my life was meant to care for people and… I was thinking it would be nice to care for one of my own…”
Jon didn’t say anything immediately. I waited a few seconds before slowly shifting my gaze up toward him. Jon looked down at me. Even with the thick beard on his face and an intense stare, there was still a kindness about Jon that I always saw.
He smiled softly at me.
“You really mean it?” he said.
“I do.”
“You want to…”
“I think it would be nice… To have your child.”
“Anna… Nothing would make me happier as a man than being a father. Let’s do it.”
He leaned forward and kissed me again. The nervousness I had just a second ago felt foolish. He wrapped his arms around me and lifted me into the air. I felt like a feather floating up toward the sky in his strong embrace.
He pressed his forehead to mine as we stood in front of the entrance to the shelter together.
“I promise you,” he whispered. “I’m going to be the best father that I can be.”
“I know you will. You’re the best man I’ve ever known.”
Endgame: Epilogue
DECLAN
Three weeks later…
Gina held her hand up and showed off the small diamond on her wedding band. Anna, Michelle, and Katrina all admired the ring, their eyes wide like little schoolgirls.
“Another one bites the dust.”
I chuckled as I put an arm around Sully’s shoulder.
“You really sure about this?” I said while we watched them. “You’re still young. You’ve got plenty of time to think about it.”
“Weren’t you younger when you got and Michelle got hitched?” Sully replied.
“That’s exactly why I’m asking. I’m speaking from experience. Michelle… I knew she was the one when I first met her.”
“Gina’s the one. She’s been with me through everything. That’s a real old lady if I’ve ever heard of one.”
I patted Sully hard on the chest. The young patch and I had been through a lot these past few weeks. Shit, the entire club had been through a lot. If that couldn’t tear the couple apart, nothing would.
Sully made his way over to the ladies and joined in on the celebration. And it was definitely a fucking celebration.
The Grindhouse had been rebuilt and reopened. The place was packed with all of the friends and family of the club. The conversation was loud but friendly. The alcohol was flowing. There wasn’t a single person in the building without a smile on their face. I stood by the bar with Needle by my side.
“A nice, chaotic scene,” Needle said. “This shit almost looks like Finn’s.”
“Finn’s is full of assholes,” I said. “I don’t see any around here.”
I eyeballed Needle and burst into laughter.
“Not even you, brother.”
Needle laughed just the same as me. The pretty boy’s smile was as big and wide as it could get.
His old lady Katrina excused herself from the commotion around Sully and Gina. She walked up to us with her daughter in her arms.
“The place looks great,” Katrina said.
“It’ll take more than a few bullets to take down The Grindhouse,” I said.
Katrina pursed her lips and nodded to me. Despite being in the thick of it, even she could smile about it now.
Her brother walked up next to her and looked at both Needle and me.
“What’s up, Cobra?” I said to Harris.
“Garnet,” he said to me. “It looks like you’ve got everything in order.”
“It seems that way.”
Harris looked at Needle. The two of them eyeballed one another. They weren’t smiling. They almost looked like they were gonna punch each other out. Katrina swallowed as she shifted her eyes between the two of them.
“You walk down that aisle, you remember what’s most important, Reaper.”
Harris held his hand up and Needle grabbed it. Katrina beamed as Needle finally made peace with the man from the rival MC.
The president of the Winter Cobras looked at me and smirked.
“You’ve got a decent clubhouse,” he said to me. “You ever wanna stop by The Bone Pit, the door’s open.”
“I’ll keep that in mind,” I said.
Harris gave me a nod and went back to the table where the rest of his club was waiting for him.
Katrina moved next to her man. The smile on her face had never looked so big.
“Thank you,” she said.
“Nothing is gonna stop me from marrying you.”
Blake leaned forward and kissed his lady. I turned and watched as the front entrance to the clubhouse opened. It was Ghost but he wasn’t alone.
“Everybody,” Ghost shouted. “Let’s welcome back the prospect!”
The entire place cheered as Nate gingerly walked forward. The young man sheepishly put his hand up and waved to th
e crowd who was rooting him on.
“How are you feeling, big man?” I said as I patted Nate on the arm.
“I’m feeling as good as I can be,” he said. “I’m ready to get back to it.”
“That’s the spirit.”
“I told him it’s just a matter of time,” Ghost said. “He’s got the kind of heart it takes to be a Reaper.”
I looked Nate up and down and nodded.
“You’ll get there eventually, kid,” I said. “And when you do, I’ll be proud to patch you in.”
“Come on,” Ghost said as he put an arm on Nate’s shoulder. “Let’s get you something to drink.”
“That sounds like a good idea,” Needle said.
“Don’t get too crazy now…” Katrina muttered under her breath.
Needle and Katrina followed Ghost so they could have a few drinks with Nate. Michelle and Anna continued to fawn over Gina’s engagement to Sully. Petey and Brawn were busy dealing with the admiration from a couple of groupies. I stood alone at the bar and watched it all go down.
Even though the place was packed, people were still pouring in. I turned to the entrance and saw a couple of cops step inside. The old sheriff was followed by the young man who was trying to follow in his footsteps.
“Sheriff Sutton. Officer Rose. It’s good to see you.”
“We thought we’d stop by and see how the place was,” Rose said.
“It looks like you’ve got the place rebuilt,” Sutton said.
“It took a little longer but we got it done.”
The newly remodeled Grindhouse looked better than it did before the shooting. It was hard not to notice.
“Say, Ben,” Sutton said. “Why don’t you get me a drink? I gotta talk to Cunningham here for a second.”
Officer Rose excused himself and moved to the bar for a couple of drinks. Sutton leaned up against the bar and observed the scene with me.
“They found one of Lieberman’s agents in an abandoned farm not far from here,” he said. “They don’t know who did it.”
“I don’t know anything about that,” I said.
“Yeah… I’ll bet you don’t… I’ll bet you don’t know anything about Lieberman’s wreck being found in that canyon either.”
