Steel Temptation (Back Down Devil MC #6)(2)

But whatever.

Nate turned off his motorcycle and just sat there. The moon bounced off the ocean with the waves.

“Come on, brother,” Griffin said. “What is this? There’s naked women at the clubhouse. Waiting for us.”

Nate climbed off the motorcycle and walked to the sand. He crept forward and stopped right where it happened. Of course he knew where it happened because he remembered every goddamn detail of it. He remembered the cocky grin on Chief Jerry’s face when he got out of his vehicle. They were all working together, behind the backs of Back Down Devil MC. Moving drugs around Frelen.

“This is where it happened,” Nate said. “Fucking jacked in the head, man.”

Griffin patted Nate on the back. “We’ll figure it out.”

“It’s not that. Sometimes the truth…”

“If you’re holding back, it’s going to piss everyone off. Miller will take your cut, Nate. You know that, right?”

Nate looked at Griffin. “You know where I came from, right? Never needed a cut before to survive.”

“Christ, man, I don’t know what…”

Nate saw something move. Something in shadows, near the water. Damn near under the pier. Before he could process what it could possibly be, he was on the run. Charging through the sand, Griffin trying to stay with him. Face it, Griffin was a little portly and had a limp thanks to a motorcycle accident ten years ago. In other words, Nate could run in the sand and Griffin could be on flat pavement and he still wouldn’t have caught up to Nate.

When Nate saw movement again, he took out his gun. His brain screamed at him, warning him not to do anything stupid. Christ, if it was the judge or the chief working a deal and Nate shot them, this would be a disaster for the MC.

Nate held the gun tight but kept his finger off the trigger.

“Oh, f*ck!” a voice yelled as Nate got closer.

He saw two figures start to run and growled, demanding his body to keep up with them.

Under the pier through wet sand, the ocean trying to lick at his heavy boots, Nate kept running. He made out the figures and closed in even more. One was faster than the other. Just like a lion claiming its prey, survival of the f*cking fittest for sure.

Nate lunged forward off his feet, and brought the gun down to the neck of the closest person. The guy hit the sand, rolled, and Nate was on top of him. He came down with a right fist, smashing into the guy’s face.

“What the f*ck!”

Nate looked up and pointed his gun, stopping the other guy in his tracks. He then punched once, twice, three more times to the guy on the sand.

“Who are you?” the second guy asked.

Nate gritted his teeth.

The second guy then made a daring move and kicked sand at Nate.

Well f*cking played.

The sand covered Nate’s face and eyes just enough for the second guy to make a move at him. Next thing Nate knew, he was the one on his back, in the sand, getting pummeled by two guys now. They were skinny little punks and Nate’s tree trunk like arms were able to wrap around them like two hungry boa constrictors. He absorbed their punches as his eyes burned and watered from the sand.

“Motherf*cker,” one of them said. “You gonna die now.”

That’s when a gun went off.

It stopped the entire scene.

The two guys jumped off Nate and stood up, putting their hands up.

“What the f*ck is happening?” Griffin yelled, out of breath.

Nate hurried to his feet. He shook his head and blinked away sand filled tears.

“Who are you?” one of the guy’s asked.

“Fuck,” Nate said. “You’re not them.”

“Not who?” the other guy asked.

“What were you doing down here?” Griffin asked the guys.

“Who the hell are you? The police?” the first guy asked.

“Maybe,” Nate said. “Answer the question.”

“Go f*ck yourself,” the second guy said.

Nate came forward, without hesitation, and socked the smart mouth right to the jaw. The guy turned and dropped right into his friend’s arms.

“Goddamn!” the guy yelled. “You knocked him out!”

“Get the f*ck out of here,” Nate said.

“Or I’ll shoot you,” Griffin warned. “Got that?”

The guy dragged his friend away, mumbling something the entire time.

Nate found his gun in the sand and tucked it away. He turned and watched as Griffin came across with his own gun, hitting Nate in the face. Nate stumbled back and Griffin stayed with him. He put the gun to Nate’s head.

“You stupid f*ck,” Griffin growled. “Tell me what you goddamn remember. Or I’ll blow your brains out right now.”





two.



“Holy shit,” Griffin said and lowered the gun.

Nate stood with his hands at his sides. There was a second he believed that Griffin would actually shoot him, but he figured if Griffin wanted the damn truth so badly, then he’d give it to him.

Slowly, Griffin tucked his gun away and then stroked his chin. He looked around the empty beach. “You know, people should be down here. Not those punks we chased away.”

“Yeah?”

“Seriously, Nate. There used to be people. Hell, I came down to this beach one night, right under a pier, and fingered my first girl. The sounds of the waves crashing, salt water mist all around. And I dug into her.”