ANNA

 

One month later…

 

The scene inside of the dining hall was as lively as it ever was. Most of the residents had a good attitude because they were grateful they had something to fill their stomachs with. But these days, things were different. Everybody’s smiles seemed a little bit bigger. The laughter seemed a little bit louder. And the conversations… Everybody seemed to be talking about something that made them happy.

I observed the scene from a distance. Jackie walked up next to me, taking notes on her clipboard like she always was.

“Anna. What are you doing?”

“I’m just… admiring the view.”

She put her head up and looked out on the scene. She snickered softly with a nod.

“I see what you’re saying,” she said.

“There’s so much positivity in this room. It’s more than I’ve ever seen before.”

“There were times in their lives when positivity was all they had. I don’t see any reason for them to lose it now.”

“I’m glad it’s still around.”

“And they have you to thank for it.”

“Me?”

“Don’t be modest now, Anna. It was your idea to secure that donation from the Reapers.”

“Right…”

Jon stayed true to his word and convinced Declan to provide the shelter with a donation. The money was put to good use to repair all of the damage that the Corps had done. But the donations were used for more than just repairs.

The tables were replaced. The walls were repainted. All of the equipment used to cook was new, so the food tasted a little better.

“There’s more coming,” she said.

“What do you mean?”

“City council saw what the Reapers were doing. They’re not too happy about an MC doing charity work they should be taking care of. It’s making the politicians look bad.”

“So they have to donate to make themselves look good…”

“Anything to keep the voters.”

I shook my head and smiled at the thought. To think that the Black Reapers would have that kind of impact on this town was something I’d never thought about.

Jackie had her head down and the smile had left her face. I looked at her and couldn’t help but wonder what she was thinking.

“Are you sure you’re all right with all of this?” I said. “I mean, having club members around.”

She sighed a deep breath as she thought about it. She looked up at me and the smile came back to her face.

“This is Ivory,” she said. “The MCs are a part of this town as much as anything. Trying to separate the two would be impossible. The best thing to do would be to embrace it.”

“I’m happy you feel that way.”

“My only obligation is to this town and the people in this shelter. How about you, Anna?”

The way she grinned forced me to do the same.

“Ivory is my home,” I said. “I owe it to this town to help the people who are living here. That’s why I came back.”

“You keep doing what you’re doing. I have a feeling things are gonna work out just fine.”

Jackie went back to her business and monitored all of the residents. I made my way around the dining hall and took a seat next to Jon, who was busy listening to the man who seemed to have an endless amount of stories.

“…Now, the baddest club I’d ever seen… That had to be the Devils,” Ryan said.

“The Devils?” Jon replied.

My boyfriend scoffed and shook his head.

“The Devils haven’t been relevant in ages,” Jon said.

“Maybe not. But you’re young. You don’t remember the time when the Devils were the baddest motherfuckers in Ivory. Clubs like the Reapers…”

Ryan chuckled softly to himself.

“…I’m sure you’ve caught some bodies. But not as many as the Devils.”

“You’ve been around longer than I have,” Jon said. “Maybe you can tell me a story about them some time.”

“I’ve got plenty of stories about the Devils. There isn’t an MC in Ivory that I’m not familiar with.”

“That sounds interesting,” I said. “But do you mind if I borrow Jon for a second?”

“Don’t mind me,” Ryan said. “This food right here is all the company a man needs.”

“I’ll be right back,” Jon said. “You and I have a lot to talk about.”

“I’m not going anywhere, Reaper.”

Ryan stuffed a bite of food into his mouth and winked at Jon.

“Come on,” I said to Jon.

I tugged on Jon’s arm and led him out of the dining hall.

“What’s this all about?” he said.

“I just wanted to talk to you, that’s all.”

We walked out of the front entrance of the shelter and looked out into the city. It was an ordinary day in Ivory with everybody going about their business as usual. The sun was shining but not bright enough that I had to stand in the shade. The weather was perfect.

I put my hands around Jon’s neck and pulled him close to me for a kiss. He tugged on my lips with his as he pulled away.

“What’s gotten into you?” he said.

“I love you, Jon.”

The smile left his face.

“I mean it,” I said. “I really do love you.”

“I love you, too. I loved you when I first laid eyes on you. I loved you even when we were miles apart.”

“I’m not going anywhere. I’m not running. This is my home. This is our home. This is where we belong.”

He leaned forward and kissed me again.

“Thank you,” I whispered.

“Thank you?”

“We didn’t need Jackie’s approval but she’s all for it. After everything the club has done for the shelter, she can’t deny it. All of the smiles on everybody’s face. It’s like that incident with the Corps were never here.”

“If anybody else shows up and thinks about trying anything, the people in the shelter have nothing to worry about.”

“I know. I’m…”

I looked up at Jon. He stared at me unblinking with those shimmering green eyes of his. All of the memories I had with him came flooding back to me. But I saw my future, too. Everything I ever wanted was right there in the way he looked at me.

“…I’m happy.”

“I’ll do anything to keep it that way,” he said.

“I know…”

I moved away from him and looked out into the streets. Jon stood next to me and put a hand on my shoulder.

The view of Ivory was so familiar. I’d been gone for so many years but those years had gone by so quickly.

“I know why I left,” I said. “I didn’t leave because I needed a break from you or the club. I left because I wanted to see what was out there. I wanted to see if you were someone I could really be happy with.”

I put my hand on top of his and squeezed it gently.

“Michelle was talking to me about us getting married and having a bunch of kids,” I said.

“Don’t listen to Michelle,” Jon said with a laugh. “She’s full of bad advice.”

“I know,” I said, chuckling just the same as him. “But that’s what I want. To be with you. To raise a family. Right here in Ivory.”

I slowly turned and looked up at Jon.

“I’ll do it,” he said. “I promise.”

The way he looked at me was enough to let me know he was telling the truth. I swallowed to keep my emotions down.

“But there’s no need to hurry,” I said. “We missed out on five years. I say we have the fun we should’ve been having when I was gone. And then you can put a ring on my finger.”

“I can’t think of anything better.”

Jon kissed me again. Feeling his lips against mine was enough to clear my thoughts.

All of the negativity. All of the reservations. All of the doubts and fears. Everything was gone.

Ivory was my home. It would always be my home. I had to leave to find it but in the end, I ended up where I needed to be.

Jon was the man I was meant to be with. The man I fell in love with was by my side and I was by his. Nothing would ever stop us from spending the rest of our lives together.