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Kingpin ignored my outburst. Instead, he wandered into my old room at Gran’s. I’d only lived in it a little over a year, but I hadn't taken everything with me. A picture of my mom and I sat on the bedside table. I'd snapped a picture of it with my phone and felt that was good enough.
Kingpin picked it up. “Why did you leave this here?”
I didn't feel the need to explain technology to him or the benefits of minimalism. I talked about the deeper meaning. “When I left here, I wanted to leave my past. It had been holding me back. I thought. You know my mom was murdered. Right? My dad was framed for it and since he was a biker everyone thought he did it. I know you do. You know everything about everybody.”
“I have to know everything so I can keep everybody safe.”
I grabbed the frame from him and put it in the box. I'd be taking the picture with me this time.
“Eve, we have to talk.” Kingpin sounded like I wouldn’t like what he had to say.
I sat down the box. And carefully lowered myself to sit at the foot of the bed.
Kingpin paced as usual. “Hob is going to be staying here a spell.”
“But that wasn't our deal.”
“Eve. You don't realize it, but I know what's best. Don’t worry none. Hob will be patched. He’ll be protected. He's going to live in this house until then. Yes, coming to Royal Road would be safer for him when it comes to the Gods. But I've gotta let things blow over there. The Asphalt Gods MC just came in and killed three of my people. Those people have families. Friends. And I realize your brother didn't have anything to do with it, but no one else sees it that way. There’s no way in hell he can come back now when our wounds are so fresh.”
“Won't they find out that you've patched him?”
“He's not going to be a Royal Bastard.”
“Kingpin you promised me. You promised if I didn't say anything to Hallow before Sky had her babies,” I started.
“Listen to me, Eve. Hob will be patched into another club, the Road Monsters MC.”
“What the hell are you talking about?”
“It's not something you're supposed to know about. It's a group of nomads. Becoming one, Hob will disappear, take on a whole new identity. When that happens, your brother is going to leave this house. He'll be out on the road for a long while. You may not be able to contact him.”
None of this made sense. “Kingpin. Are you trying to, like, kill my brother off or something? I ain’t gonna be able to contact him? What?” I couldn't wrap my head around it. I wouldn't agree to it. “I can't go the rest of my life without seeing my brother, Kingpin. My father is a drunk. My Gran’s not much better and on her last legs. Hob is the only family I have left.”
“There's always a way, Eve. When Hob, eventually, is able to come back, he'll come to this house. You can see him then. Only then. Only here. Otherwise, you are to make no contact. He won’t be able to contact anyone he’s known as Hob Newberry.”
“This house is for sale. And too many people know about this place,” I said.
“So, nobody would think that I would buy it. It's not like I'm going to buy it under my name. It's turned out to be a pretty safe place. It's far enough from Nashville. Nobody's bothered Hob in the last two months. No Asphalt Gods have come here. Only your father seemed to know. I was the only one at Royal Road to even think to check here for you before I threw Hob out.”
“Hallow didn’t search here?”
Kingpin froze his pacing. He bit his lip.
“Hallow didn’t look for me at all did he?”
The biker would not answer that. His silence let me know.
“What about Mr. Fond?”
“Yes. Noah Fond and the mob know about this place. But it's not like you're going to be staying here. The house will sit empty.”
The thought of never seeing my brother again made me an emotional wreck. It was partly hormones and the realization, Hallow hadn’t even searched for me when I ran away from Royal Road. Also, I was pissed at Kingpin. He promised me he’d protect my brother. Could I believe him now?
“Of course, you can buy this house. You can do anything you goddamn please. Buy anything. Have anybody you want and throw them away.”
“Eve, that's not true. I’ve not thrown you away. I plan to provide for you. For Hallow too if you choose him.”
Provide for me and his baby, like I was a charity case. All the while, as Kingpin and I were talking, the baby had been moving. I stretched back to give him more room to do so.
