Steel Temptation (Back Down Devil MC #6)(25)

“You smell like shit,” Chief Jerry said.

“Really? It’s usually *. Must have been working the wrong hole last night.”

“Fucking sick.”

“You don’t know the half of it,” Nate said.

Griffin’s phone started to beep. He snuck away to the side of the van.

“You all need to disappear from this scene,” Chief Jerry said.

Nate turned and sat at the back of the van. He folded his arms. “Yeah?”

“You really want to f*ck with me?”

“I want the truth.”

“Thought you had all that,” Chief Jerry said. He tapped the side of his head. “Or do you remember something, Nate?”

“Fuck off.”

Chief Jerry grinned. He pulled out his gun and pointed it at Nate.

“Whoa,” Blaine said. “Chief. My man. Hold up.”

“I’ll call this in on Back Down Devil then,” Chief Jerry said. “I’ll call anything I want it. You want to take the heat for the drugs?”

“You have a guy in the back of your car,” Nate said. “A guy at the hospital.”

“A guy you shot. I can tie this van to you, Nate. To anyone. Do you want to f*ck with that?”

Nate slowly stood back up. He stared down at the chief. His mind begged to be rational. This was a dark and silent war right now. Everything had to fall in place the right way.

“Okay,” Nate said. “You do what you have to do, Chief. We’ve been telling you about Coast Road for a while. These drugs. And that’s what I saw when I was attacked. The drugs. The deals. Right here in Frelen. Where the f*ck are you in all this?”

“You trying to imply something, Nate?”

“Nate, get over here,” Griffin’s voice yelled.

“Go, bro,” Blaine said.

Nate walked to the side of the van.

“What?” Nate asked.

“We have a problem. A big f*cking problem.”

“Which is?”

“Mia is missing.”





eleven.



Mia watched the guys ride away and she gripped the steering wheel of her car and let out a deep breath. Her body and heart were twisted. She should have been damn terrified. Angry, hell bent on revenge, ready to tell Uncle Jake everything and let him handle things accordingly. But that’s not what was going through Mia’s mind. She kept thinking about Nate. She wanted to trust Back Down Devil MC.

But they were the bad guys, right?

They were the ones who wanted to hurt and kill.

Yeah, so does Uncle Jake. And anyone else he deals with.

Knowing she didn’t have time to waste - We’re all over you. Don’t f*ck this up. Miller’s words to her, Mia started the car and pulled away. She went straight to Uncle Jake’s house. Bad enough she’d have to think of something and make the lies work, she didn’t want to cruise around and piss off Miller, Gaige, Nate, or any of the other guys.

The sad part was that Mia came to town just looking for some extra cash. She was supposed to be working at the club tomorrow night. What would happen then? How could she focus with so much around her?

By the time she parked and walked to Uncle Jake’s backdoor and knocked, she felt ragged and winded.

The door opened and Uncle Jake stood there, ten feet tall. He grabbed her by the arm and pulled her inside. He spun her around and slammed her against the kitchen counter.

“Let me smell your breath,” he ordered. “Now.”

Mia opened her mouth. Now she was terrified.

Uncle Jake sniffed. He then put his thumbs to her eyes and pulled.

“Let me see your eyes.”

“I’m fine,” Mia whispered.

“I’ll be judge of that.” Then he snickered. “Judge. Get it?”

Mia swallowed hard. “I get it. Funny.”

Uncle Jake then backed up. He put his hands to his hips. “Drunk? High? Stupid?”

“No,” Mia whispered. She looked around. “Where’s Jacob?”

“At a friend’s,” Uncle Jake said. “There’s dangerous business here. I want to know where you were and why. Open up.”

“Do you have any coffee? A bite to eat?”

“Where’s your f*cking money?”

“Can I leave and go get something to eat?”

“Are you getting an attitude with me?”

“No,” Mia said. “I haven’t eaten yet. I came back here.”

“Where were you?”

“I followed them, like you said. They left Frelen. There was a few other guys they talked to. I didn’t really see anything, okay?”

“Who was there?”

“I heard names.” Mia swallowed harder. “Miller. Gaige. Griffin. Jace.”

Uncle Jake’s lip curled. “Jace. The rest. Who did they meet with?”

“I don’t know.”

“What did they look like?”

“Them,” Mia said.

“Other bikers?”

“I guess so.”

“You guess? Were there other f*cking bikes there?”

“Not that I saw.”

Uncle Jake rubbed his chin. “Maybe they called in another charter. Maybe for some help. If that son of a bitch remembers…”