Steel Temptation (Back Down Devil MC #6)(23)

Nate leaned down, his head gently touching hers. “When you figure it out, it’ll shock you.”

“My uncle tried to hurt you?”

“Not him directly. But the war going on… if my skull wasn’t so damn thick, I’d have been killed.”

Mia felt herself turning a little, inching closer to Nate’s lips. One quick good morning kiss…

The door busted open with a metal cling, clang, and boom.

Three guys stood in the doorway. Mia had picked up enough names to know it was Gaige, Miller, and Griffin. She knew Griffin really wanted her dead. Miller was the President. Gaige the second in command for the MC.

“Time to ride,” Miller said.

He threw a set of keys at Nate. A few seconds later Mia was able to move her wrists freely. She was no longer attached the the clamps, the chains, the wall.

“Sorry the accommodations weren’t better,” Griffin said. “But at least you’re alive. For now.”

“Hey,” Miller said. “We have a plan. Gaige, Griffin, get out of here.”

They walked away.

Nate stood and helped Mia to her feet. She bent her knees and stretched. It never felt so good to stretch.

“Hope Nate wasn’t a pain in the ass,” Miller said.

“No. Not at all.”

“Good. Remember what we said. One f*ck up and you’re dead. You need to be right back here before sunset. So what do we know?”

“You’re not going to like it,” Nate said. “At all.”

Miller reached for his gun. “Do I have to kill her right now?”

Mia froze and Nate stepped between her and Miller.

“It’s the judge,” Nate said. “The one that I saw. The one that tagged Jace and left him in prison. This is deep and messy. We need her alive and on our side.”

“I want the entire f*cking story,” Miller said. “I’ll be outside waiting. This place stinks.”

Miller turned and left.

Nate faced Mia. “It’s going to get bad, babe.”

Mia knew that already. It had always been bad. It always would be. But right now, looking at Nate, something felt good. Before she could stop herself, she grabbed his shirt and jumped up to her tiptoes and kissed him.





ten.



They were supposed to keep on Mia’s ass, but when the white van passed right through the heart of Frelen, plans quickly changed. Nate didn’t want to lose sight or Mia or not be within striking distance if things went bad, but club business always came first. It was exactly why he never cared enough to have a woman. He would never become Gaige, Erik, Jace, or the other f*cking guys tied down to a woman.

Mia had been dropped at her car. She had been warned, again, not to f*ck anything up. If things went bad, she’d die. Miller made it clear that if her uncle or anyone else figured out that she had been with the MC and wanted to kill her, they wouldn’t protect her. This was all part of the mental f*ck of handling a war.

For Nate, it bothered him. And that wasn’t a good thing.

It was him, Blaine, and Griffin on the road when they saw the van. They were just outside the fancy neighborhood where the judge lived. They couldn’t actually get into the neighborhood without attracting attention, so they lingered.

The van cruised right by, two meat necks behind the wheel, without a f*ck to give. The cockiness drove Nate insane. Because they had help from Chief Jerry and Judge Jake, they thought they could just do this.

“We’re going for it,” Nate said. He started his ride and throttled it hard.

“Fuck,” Griffin yelled. “You can’t…”

“Fuck this,” Nate bellowed.

They couldn’t win the war today, but that didn't mean they couldn’t fight.

Nate led the way, Blaine and Griffin playing catch up. Nate tore through traffic, cutting in and out of cars, taking chances through stop signs and red lights. He was on the van in a matter of a minute. Then came the time to wait and see where it was going. But they were all quickly made. Three barreling motorcycles that weren’t actually trying to hide didn’t give them any kind of cover.

The passenger in the van leaned out and produced a sawed-off shotgun. He aimed and fired. Nate cut his ride to the left and took out his gun. He shot at the back left tire and it exploded with ease. Shards of rubber flew up and by him like shrapnel. The passenger pumped the shotgun for another chance, but Nate was too quick. He aimed, fired, and hit the guy in the shoulder. He dropped the shotgun out of the window. It bounced like a toy and all three motorcycles rode by it.

Nate shot out the second back tire. The ass of the van cut left, right, the rims dragging on the pavement, sparks flying around.

The motorcycles had more power and speed. Nate crept up the left side of the van. The driver was trying to concentrate on too much at once. The van, the road, keeping the van moving, his passenger leaning against the dashboard, bleeding from a gunshot wound.

Nate got close enough and kicked the door. The driver had a phone to his ear and then threw it out the window at Nate. It hit the ground and exploded into pieces. Nate shot the front left tire of the van and that finally did it. The van moved back and forth, as Nate hitting the brakes so he didn’t get crushed by the bigger vehicle. The van pulled to the side of the road. All three Back Down Devil MC riders were right on the van.