Steel Temptation (Back Down Devil MC #6)(3)

“How’d that go?”

“She screamed,” Griffin said. “Then slapped me. She didn’t like the way it felt.” He shrugged his shoulders. “Got a handjob from her though as a thanks for touching her.”

Nate shook his head. “Memories.”

“My point is, Nate, there should be people here. And there’s not. Do you know why?”

Nate looked around too. He thought about it.

Why the hell wouldn’t people be down here? It’s a beautiful night. Cool and comfortable. A soft breeze. Perfect for a romantic walk. Holding hands. Hell, maybe getting a little frisky and finding a secluded spot in the sand…

Griffin clicked his mouth a few times and threw his thumb back. When Nate turned, he got his answer.

There were signs posted along the edge of the beach.

Simply put - no access to the beach after dark. Signed by the great folks at the Frelen Police Department.

“Motherf*cker,” Nate whispered. “He closed the beach.”

“Do you realize what you’re trying to tell me?” Griffin asked.

“I’m not trying to tell you a damn thing, Griffin. I told you. There’s no more telling. It was the judge, Chief Jerry, and Coast Road MC. All in a white van. Remember when Jace put his ass on the line and begged Miller to check out the seafood van?”

Griffin nodded. His eyes looked as though they knew the rest of this story.

“Who checked the van out?”

“Chief,” Griffin said.

“Yeah. The Chief. And he said there was nothing in it. That he looked stupid.”

“So you think he made it up?”

“He probably pulled the van over,” Nate said. “Searched it for good measure, appearances. Just in case we were watching. But he chose to find nothing.”

“Fucking hell.”

“He’s been on the inside of us for years, Griffin. He knows things. He knows how we operate. So much dirt…”

Griffin pointed a finger. “That goes both ways. We know things about him that could put him away.”

Nate laughed. “You fool. He’s got the badge. We have a patch. He protects from crime. We commit the crimes. It’d be nothing but a goddamn setup.”

Griffin turned and faced the water. The breeze grabbed some of his loose hair and made it dance behind him.

Nate stood tall and like a statue. He’d dealt with this shit before. Nobody could be trusted. Family, friends, blood, patch, badge, honor, or words. The world was a playground for betrayal. That’s just how it went.

“We can’t say anything,” Griffin said. “Not tonight. Not with so much lingering from what happened.”

“I know,” Nate said. “That’s why I’ve been quiet. On the outside. Trying to piece it together. All I know is that Chief Jerry wants out. This is his ticket. Cash in and then slip away. Probably move to an administrative role or just retire.”

“New blood in the PD is bad for us,” Griffin said.

“Bad blood in the PD is bad for us,” Nate said.

Both men looked at each other. They both nodded. A silent agreement to one thing for sure - someone was going to have to take out the chief of police for Frelen.

Jesus. Christ.

Nate put a fist out for Griffin to hit. When Griffin did, Nate grabbed his fist and held tight. “I came down here to relive it, okay? To see if there was possibly anything I had missed. You know? Like it couldn’t be true that our greatest ally was f*cking turning on us.”

“That’s why you attacked that guy?” Griffin asked with a grin.

“I thought I could catch them. Right in the f*cking act.”

“Then what? I mean, if you did? You realize how f*cked up this is?”

Nate nodded. “I’ve been living in this nightmare all alone since the attack happened.”

“Christ, Nate. Miller is on the hunt for some more Eight Under blood. Thinking they attacked you. You could have admitted to him it was Coast Road.”

“Yeah, I know,” Nate said. “But I just… f*ck. This is bad. How do we tell Miller?”

“We?” Griffin asked with an eyebrow raised.

“Yeah, we. Sorry, bro, but trying to remember wasn’t the only reason I came out here tonight.”

“No?”

“No. I was hoping you’d come with me. So I could drag you into this f*cking mess. Now you know the truth. And you believe it. So we need to convince Miller it’s true.”

“The club can’t take this right now.”

“If we don’t, then what? Christ, Griffin, what if Chief Jerry has been waiting for this opportunity for a long time? I’m talking… f*cking years… think about it.”

“I don’t want to.”

Griffin turned and started to walk. He threw his hands up, and the only thing Nate could do was nod. He knew the feeling. That hopeless dead feeling inside. From the second he came down to the beach and saw what he saw, that feeling had been going through him. Hell, it was a relief almost to tell someone. Better yet, to have someone believe him.

When Nate started to move again, he scanned the beach. He looked at one of posted signs about the beach being closed. Gritting his teeth, he took out his gun and shot the sign. The gunshot might attract attention, but f*ck it. Let the PD come down to the beach. Where the hell were the citizens of Frelen? Why didn’t they stand up and fight back against this? What about the business owners? Not that Frelen had been exactly safe lately…