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Most of us survived anyway. Two brothers perished, Cue Ball and our beloved, Buzzard. Jelly Bean, one of our strippers also met her end. Unlike the others she was young, a shame. Many were injured, including bikers from other chapters, including myself. Not too bad. The worst of it, I’d been shot in the foot, my pinkie toe blown clean off.
Putting Riff in charge of accounting for all the members and their injuries, I had him check on Eve first. I explained she was all alone, meaning she had no man to protect her.
“If she’s hurt bring her to me right away,” I ordered.
Riff brought back the list. Eve was named unharmed. Therefore, I knew she survived the raid unscathed. I was out in the barn the next morning when she came looking for me. Pagan said she came to the clubhouse to inquire about my wellbeing. He talked to her and told her I was alright. I took care of the business of our traitor, sent Levi on a mission to find that bitch Maren who caused all this trouble. I was sure Levi longed for her head as much as I did. And if he didn’t we’d take his.
We took a few prisoners from the Gods as well. It took time to make them talk. Besting me wasn’t their only mission, they were looking for Hob and Eve on orders to kill as well. After we had our information and all was clear, I spent a couple nights at the hospital getting patched up. When I got back to Royal Road I collapsed for days. I wasn’t as young as I used to be.
Determined to ignore her, I hadn’t noticed at first. But when Eve didn’t show up at Cue Ball and Buzzard’s funeral, I sent Pagan to check on her. Biker came back empty handed. As soon as I got the chance, I went to Goliath’s old place to search myself. Eve was nowhere to be found. I even tried her phone. There was no answer.
I shot her a text. “Eve. Where are you? You’re in danger.”
Waiting for a reply, I read her other texts, quick back and forths from back when we saw each other regularly. Back when she came to the Big House to my study to work with me. She never replied.
The girl had all but vanished.
After the funerals, I sent Pagan to search her Gran’s house up north. I left on my hog and rode around Broadway, cruising the parking garages looking for her car. I’d thought she’d gotten another job and left. But I didn’t see her piece of shit El Camino anywhere.
When I got back, I interrogated her brother about her whereabouts. That was before I threw him out, breaking my promise to Eve. He claimed no knowledge of her location or plans. Throwing him out I was protecting him from our club anyhow. He couldn’t stay at Royal Road anymore since my brothers found he’d been a member of the Asphalt Gods MC, whether he’d been part of the raid or not. I had no reason to believe he had been. Afterall they’d been looking to kill him. Nevertheless, my men thought it was careless of me, so I did right by them.
Next, I questioned Hallow. All this mess between Eve and I could finally be settled if they got back together. I thought when he found out she’d left, he’d come to his senses.
I broke the news to him carefully. “We know she survived the raid, but she’s gone now.”
“I ain’t spoke to her.” He didn’t seem to care that she was missing. It had to be a lie.
“Don’t you want to find her?” I thought if anyone would, it’d be him. “I have no real evidence she left willingly. The Gods could have her.”
“Didn’t we already chase Eve?” he reminded me. “How’d that turn out for me?”
“You know she’s in danger, right?” I tried to keep my voice calm so as to not show the level of my concern. I hid my panic. Hallow used to be a goddamn detective. I could use his goddamn help.
“Prez. I’ve moved on,” Hallow claimed.
I had doubted that until now. “You don’t want to find her? Eve, the angel you lied to me about and was about to marry. The woman you bargained with me for.”
“I’m happy with Steph,” Hallow said, his face a block of steel.
Pretending to believe him, I sent him on a run back to Charleston, WV to help Murder solve a mystery there. If he was lying, if he knew where Eve was, he’d stray and go find her. I’d have someone follow him. And if he wasn’t lying, and he really didn’t care, getting Hallow away from Royal Road would free Steph to move on herself. I didn’t foresee that bitch waiting for any man. When Hallow came back, he’d be free to be with Eve again, if we ever found her. Eve would be happy.
It was a good a plan as any.
Though I felt hollow inside, I couldn’t make a big deal of Eve’s disappearance. Our enemies couldn’t find out. I had to keep it quiet. Fresh off our battle, I didn’t know what the Asphalt Gods MC would do if they got wind of it and found her first.
With Hallow gone, I called a special Church with just a few of the officers, Horror, Cousin, and Thorn. I let them know we were looking for Eve on the down low. The lowest rungs on the ladder, when it came to officers, at least. They wouldn’t call attention to her absence as they looked for her. I couldn’t send my VP out to question people. And those closest to me couldn’t even know I cared that Eve was gone.
Through my channels, I inquired and decided the Asphalt Gods MC didn’t take her. They’d let me know if they had, wanting something for her in return. I hoped anyway. In case she stayed in Nashville, I made a point to ride out myself to search every few days. It cut into my time with Sky, but it was necessary.
I hated to admit it, but she wasn’t healing, not mentally. The girl had gone mental. We fought like cats and dogs over every minute I didn’t spend with her. She even stabbed me one night. Fuck. I’d missed my Harley. My freedom. Royal Road had become a prison of my own making. The wind no longer whipped my hair as it was all gone, but soothed my temper. Therefore, instead of minding the clubhouse, I decided to start getting my hands dirty again. Pagan thought we were breaking the Prime Directive or something. He thought I shouldn’t put myself in danger. But I found any excuse I could to be away. Any excuse to put my life at risk. I dived even more into club business and that was saying something.
It was a long two months until Horror came to me with an address. The night of our Christmas party. Pagan and I had just broken Satan out of the nursing home for it. Sky waited for me at the bar with our ugly sweaters for the contest. She’d be having our twins in a couple of months. Even with her previous suffering all was going well with her health. My time away had let her heart mend, too. Grow fonder. With Eve gone, I was able to focus on my marriage when I was around. I’d kept my promise to Sky. No other women. That was easy with Eve gone, too.
Therefore, when Horror took me aside, I didn’t know how to take the news.
“This time it’s her,” he said in my ear. He pushed a wad of paper into my hand.
We went to my office for privacy.
