KATRINA

 

Ivory was in the middle of nowhere, with big cities miles away in every direction. Thousands of people made their home in this town but there were so many wide open spaces, it was possible to travel a good distance without running into someone else.

That’s not to say that it’s hard to live in Ivory. Everybody knows everybody. That means everything you need is within reach.

Need a guy to help fix your plumbing? There’s a guy for that. Need someone to bake a cake for a birthday party? I know just the place. Want a place to drink? You can get drunk within the hour.

Yes, Ivory has everything a person can need. It’s no secret why a small town is the spot some people choose to retire in. It’s a quiet, peaceful town, full of ordinary citizens just trying to live ordinary lives.

And then there are others.

Like my brother…

Jordan might have lived in Ivory all of his life but his life was anything but quaint. And after seeing him after so many years, I realized that he hadn’t changed.

“Kat!”

He had the biggest smile on his face. Most people were intimidated by Jordan. I could understand why. He towered over most people and he looked like he spent too much of his time in the gym. That wasn’t even mentioning the tattoos, leather vest, baggy jeans, and boots.

“Is it really you?”

“It’s really me,” I said, failing to hold back my laughter.

He picked me up in his arms and squeezed me tighter than I could remember. The last time I hugged him was when I said goodbye more than eight years ago.

“It’s been too long,” he said as he set me back down on the ground.

“It hasn’t been that long.”

“Almost a decade, little sis. Look at you, you’re all grown up now.”

“I was grown up when I left,” I said with a laugh.

“Hmm… Maybe,” he said with a smirk, eyeballing me up and down. “But you’ll always be my little sister.”

“And you’ll always be my overprotective big brother.”

“I’m glad you made it.”

“Why wouldn’t I?” I said, slightly confused.

“I figured you’d have more important things to do. You’re a big shot businesswoman now.”

“That doesn’t mean I don’t have time for my own brother. We’re family.”

“The only family we’ve got. Just you and me.”

He wrapped his arm around me while he took a swig of beer.

Despite how loud my brother was, the scene was so wild that we hadn’t drawn any attention to us.

If there were a rowdier bar in Ivory than The Bone Pit, I wouldn’t want to go there. Being around so many drunk people trying to talk over each other was enough of a problem for me. The people in The Bone Pit weren’t just having drunken conversations. No, these people were different.

The men were all trying to prove how big their dicks were, so violence was a regular occurrence. Thankfully, they had the decency to take it outside.

The women were all dressed in barely-there clothes. Jean skirts that were more revealing than thongs. Tops that accentuated their breasts. They positioned themselves just right to catch all the men passing by.

Yes, The Bone Pit was definitely a motorcycle club clubhouse. Just a single biker was enough to give that away. And with my brother’s arm wrapped around me, I was right in the middle of it.

The night was only just getting started but I was already exhausted. Jordan led me through the crowd toward the biggest table in the bar. Gathered around it were men who wore the same leather vest as my brother, the Winter Cobras emblem emblazoned on the front and back of it. Some of them had women sitting on their laps.

The guys were just as intimidating as I expected them to be. Despite their friendly demeanor, I knew they were the last people I would want to cross.

“Hey!” my brother shouted to all of them. “Listen up! I want you all to meet someone!”

Everybody turned their attention toward me. I looked up at my brother and couldn’t help but smile at how noticeably drunk he was becoming.

“This is my sister, Katrina,” Jordan announced. “This girl right here… This girl is my family. And I want you all to treat her with respect. When she’s in here, you treat her like family, too!”

Everybody at the table cheered and toasted their glasses together. They were in such a good mood that Jordan could have introduced a complete stranger to them and they would have celebrated just the same.

“Come on,” Jordan said as he dragged me toward the bar. “Let’s go get a drink.”

“Actually…”

My words trailed off. Jordan was in too much of a good mood to bother listening to me. But I figured I would humor him anyway. It had been nearly 10 years since I’d seen him.

As we stood next to the bar together, we smiled at one another. Jordan looked the same as he always did. The years had been kind to him. His skin was a little darker from the sun, his beard was a little thicker, and his hair was a little shaggier. But it was still him. He was still the brother I remembered back before I left Ivory.

People told me we looked a lot alike. It made sense, considering he was only a few years older than me. His hair was lighter because he spent more time in the sun. But if you looked close enough, you could tell we were related.

“I’m glad you’re back home,” he said as he put a hand on my shoulder. “I didn’t think you were serious about coming back.”

“You know me,” I said. “I wouldn’t lie about something like this.”

“I know. All these years and you haven’t changed.”

“Oh, I’ve changed. I’ve changed a lot.”

“Is that right?”

“Living abroad after all these years… I’ve seen so much. There’s a whole world out there. There are places so unlike Ivory, you wouldn’t believe.”

“But there’s no place like Ivory.”

He smirked and took another sip of beer. Seeing my brother in such a good mood made me snicker softly to myself.

“There’s no place like Ivory,” I said with a nod. “You’re right about that.”

“Are you sure you want to come back home? You were always the one who was gonna go out there and do something with her life.”

“Who says I can’t do something with my life here?” I said. “I’ve had a lot of success. I’ve made enough money to live comfortably for a long time. But sitting around in an office all day… I need a break. Maybe I’ll go back to it but not anytime soon.”

“That’s my sis. You always did know good business.”

Jordan rocked his head back and downed the rest of his beer. He let out a belch as he ordered another one. Jordan was drinking like it was going out of style.

“Speaking of good business,” I said as I looked around. “You seem to be doing quite well for yourself.”

“We’re doing okay,” he said with a nod.

“It looks like The Bone Pit is the place to be tonight.”

“It’s always the place to be.”

“And what about your other business?”

I raised an eyebrow at him. For as long as I could remember, Jordan had been the president of the Winter Cobras. The motorcycle club might have owned The Bone Pit, but I knew they had other ways of making money.

“We’re doing just fine,” he said with a nod. “If you’re worried—”

“I’m not worried. Frankly, even if I were, I know you wouldn’t stop. I just want to make sure my older brother is doing all right.”

“I’m doing just fine, sis. Doing even better now that you’re back here. What exactly do you plan on doing?”

“What do I plan on doing? I was thinking about starting a business.”

“A business? You need some help—”

“I’ll be fine,” I said, putting a hand up. “I can take care of myself.”

He let out a sigh and smiled at me with a nod. Jordan might have been my older brother but he knew that I was more than capable of handling my own business.

“So, is that the plan?” he asked. “You come back home, start a new business, then enjoy the rest of your life?”

“The rest of my life? I can’t see that far into the future. But I’d like to think that’s what’s going to happen.”

It was strange to be having such a conversation in the middle of a bar like The Bone Pit. But as rowdy as our surroundings were, Jordan and I would have been comfortable talking to each other no matter what was going on around us.

“You know, I’ve got some good friends,” he said.

“You’ve got some good… friends?”

“The club! Every single guy in the club would love to be with a girl like you.”

I blinked my eyes in disbelief. I wanted to think I’d misheard him even though I didn’t.

“You’re serious,” I said.

“Sure. Why not?”

“You’re really trying to set me up with one of the guys in your club? Your own sister?”

“You’re family. I only want the best for you.”

I put my hands up, trying to wrap my head around what he was suggesting.

“I didn’t come here for that,” I said. “If I wanted a husband, I’d be married by now. Believe me.”

“Okay, okay. I’m just saying. There are plenty of good guys in the club.”

“Thanks,” I said with a chuckle. “It’s good to know you’re looking out for me.”

He took another swig of beer and let out a loud belch that was lost among the noise of the bar. Seeing Jordan brought back the best kind of memories when we grew up together.

I knew the kind of life he lived. I didn’t stay up at night worried that he would get himself into trouble. I didn’t think that the worst could happen to him. But I knew that being the president of a motorcycle club wasn’t easy. I couldn’t do much for him. Still, I had to be there for him because I knew he would do the same for me.

“You should get a drink,” he said. “It’s the first time we’ve seen each other in so long. We need to celebrate!”

“Actually… I’ve had a busy night. It was a long drive getting back here and I think I need to settle in.”

“Oh, come on! Just one drink! How often do we have family reunions?”

“I… I don’t remember us ever going to a family reunion.”

“Exactly! Now I’m gonna order a shot and you better fucking drink it.”

“Okay, okay,” I said with a laugh. “One shot.”

There was no arguing with Jordan. The rowdy scene at the bar didn’t put me in the mood to celebrate but it was nice seeing my brother.

The bartender put two shots of whiskey down on the bar. Jordan picked his up and held it to me. I reluctantly grabbed the whiskey and he banged his glass against mine.

“Welcome home, sis.”

He gave me a wink before downing the liquor in one gulp. I stared at the whiskey and shrugged.

I swallowed it down. The burning alcohol made me grimace. Jordan stared at me with a big, obnoxious grin on his face. I would have slapped him if he were anybody else. Instead, I just coughed and smiled back at him.

“It’s good to be back home.”