Steel Temptation (Back Down Devil MC #6)(22)

“So you give a shit about me?”

“Yeah, right.”

“You kept me alive.”

“You’re useful to me right now.”

“Like my mouth was?”

“That was convenient, babe. The moment got us.”

“Fuck you, Nate.”

He grinned. “Maybe later.”

They finished eating and drinking in silence. Mia felt the day sliding off her shoulders. Uncle Jake texted her back a simple message to take notes and don’t get caught. Nate laughed at the text and kept the phone out of her reach.

They then sat next to each other, silence all around.

“You don’t have to stay,” Mia said. “I’m not getting out. I can’t get to my phone. Go do something else.”

“Can’t,” Nate said. “You might scream.”

“Would someone hear me?”

“Probably not. So I’m staying put.”

“You know my uncle is powerful, right?”

“So am I,” Nate said, smooth and sexy.

“No, Nate, he…” Mia turned her head.

No. Don’t tell him.

“What?” Nate asked.

“Nothing.”

“You really want to start holding back on me now?”

“Shit,” Mia growled. “I hate being kept like this.” She pulled at her wrists. “I’m not leaving! I swear!”

“I don’t have keys, babe. Deal with it.”

“Fuck.” Mia took a deep breath. “Fine. I think Uncle Jake killed my Aunt Theresa.”

“What?”

“Yeah. I remember it. They had a son.”

“Jacob,” Nate said. “I know.”

“How?”

“One of our guys, Jace, helped him out.”

Mia’s eyes went wide. “Holy shit. He’s in trouble because of you.”

“No, he’s becoming a man. That’s all. Learning to fight and survive.”

“Yeah, well, I’m pretty sure my uncle beats the shit out of him.”

“Wouldn’t doubt it.”

“And I’m pretty sure my uncle killed my aunt.” Mia looked right into Nate’s eyes. “Meaning he made her disappear.”

She was terrified just thinking about it.

Nate reached out and stroked her cheek with his thumb. “We make people disappear too. We know how to dig holes and call in favors.”

“Not him, Nate. He’s…”

“We’re more,” Nate growled. “You need to learn trust right now, babe. Sleep on it.”

“Sleep where?”

Nate looked to his shoulder. “Crash here.” He touched his shoulder. “I’m not going anywhere.”

Mia put her head on Nate’s shoulder. She took a deep breath, still unable to comprehend the day. Now, the night. She had a desire to scream, claw, kick, and fight. Maybe she could get Nate to hold her down. Get on top of her. Press his body tight to hers.

Her eyes slowly shut. Nate’s shoulder was the size of a boulder. It shouldn’t have been comfortable but it was. She knew there was a really strong chance that Nate was going to kill her. Or one of those other guys would do it.

“I’m telling you so there’s trust,” Mia whispered. “For my uncle’s life and what he actually does. He made my aunt disappear.”

“It’s okay,” Nate said. “I’m sorry that happened. My entire family disappeared. The other family I had I attacked. Now I have a family here. Survival, babe. And tonight, you’ve survived.”

Nate stroked her cheek again and Mia let herself fall to sleep.

When her eyes opened again, she wasn’t sure if it was the next day or the next hour. Her neck hurt and she winced when she sat up. Her head hadn’t moved, sleeping on Nate’s shoulder. She looked up and saw Nate’s head back against the wall. His eyes shut. He was like damn stone. Beautiful, rough and tough, chiseled stone.

Mia felt a rolling fire through her entire body. She needed to chase the damn feelings away because they could not happen. None of this could happen. Mia looked around at herself. Still in the same clothes. The clamps around her wrists. Chains on the ground.

Sighing, she shifted a little to get feeling back in her legs. Pins and needles climbed up her leg.

She looked back up to Nate. She bit her bottom lip, wanting to inch up and kiss him. Just a quick kiss to his cheek. Or his jaw. Maybe his neck. Smell the leather, taste the sweat…

“I’m awake, babe,” Nate said. His eyes opened. “I sleep light.”

Mia gasped. “Oh. Sorry.”

“Sorry for what?”

“Did I, uh, wake you?”

“No.”

“What time is it?”

“Morning,” Nate said. “Time to get moving.”

“I don’t understand what I’m supposed to do. It’s kind of dumb for me to be gone all night…”

“Probably. But this is a war, babe. You’re going to show up to your uncle’s and tell him whatever he wants to hear. You’ll figure it out. You make it known that Back Down Devil knows nothing of him. Or the bullshit.”

“What bullshit?”