Steel Temptation (Back Down Devil MC #6)(42)

They were silent again. Nate’s fingers still moved. He crept down her back, up over her ass, and cut between her legs. The move made Mia sigh. Nate’s fingers rubbed against her center, just once though.

“You’re still wet,” he said. “Fucking wild.”

“You keep touching me,” Mia said. “What do you think’s going to happen?”

Nate smiled and then rolled from the bed. Standing with his ass to Mia, she watched him put his jeans on. His back was clearing up from the attack, but when he turned, the scars on his chest were still there. Not like they were going to go anywhere.

“Come on,” he said. “We have to get moving.”

Mia stepped from the bed and stood, completely naked. Hands at her sides. She just stood there, actually feeling pretty for once in her life.

Nate stared. “You ever think about changing a thing and I’ll chain you up for real.”

“Changing what?”

“You know exactly what I mean. Where you work, babe. You don’t need a set of tits. You’re… just like that. It’s…”

Nate nodded.

He grabbed a t-shirt and his leather cut then stormed out of the room.

Mia stood there, blushing. She took it as a good thing. Nate trying to compliment but not crossing the line.

Fuck the line, Mia thought.

After getting dressed, Mia was on the road. Traveling through Frelen, driving to Uncle Jake’s house. Repeating the same parking routine, walking to the backdoor, knocking and waiting. The door opened and Mia wanted it so badly to be Jacob.

It was Uncle Jake.

He had heavy bags under his eyes. He looked like he had aged two decades. Like he was coming off a long, drunk night or something.

“Are you okay?” Mia asked him.

“Get the f*ck in here,” he growled at her.

Uncle Jake slammed the door behind Mia. He pointed and said, “There’s coffee if you want.”

“Thanks,” she said.

Uncle Jake grabbed a big, black mug off the counter. He kept his back to her. “What’s the situation over there? What are they preparing for?”

“Right now… nothing. It’s been quiet. I think their guard is down?”

Uncle Jake looked back. “You’re as dumb as your mother was.”

Mia gasped. That comment went through her heart. “Don’t talk about her.”

“Yeah, right. The entire f*cking family. Bunch of idiots.” He shook his head. “Look, I need details. I’ve got… people… waiting.”

“Who? What is this point of all this? I just come to help with the gambling stuff. That’s it. I’m not good at this…”

Uncle Jake slowly turned. He eyed Mia up and down. “You’re f*cking him. I know it. I can smell it. Christ. That’s what you have to offer. Keep f*cking him if he keeps talking. If he has nothing to say, go for Miller. He needs a good f*ck.”

“You know their names?”

“I know everything.” Uncle Jake put the coffee mug down. “Don’t try to undermine me either, Mia. You want the truth? Back Down Devil needs to be removed from Frelen. If I cut off this charter, the rest will start to fall apart. This isn’t just about Frelen. It’s everywhere. I’m tired of it. We’re going to destroy all connections with their kind. Restructure the town. To put it simple… I’m going to take over Frelen. I’m going to take down Back Down Devil MC. I’m going to run for Mayor. I’ll have the chief of police in my corner, along with the support of the town.”

“Holy shit,” Mia whispered.

It made some kind of sense now. Uncle Jake wanted to do what Back Down Devil was doing. He wanted to control Frelen. He would be the Mayor and he would be the one pulling all the strings behind closed doors. Not to mention the big names and power that came to the illegal poker games. They’d all have a guy like Uncle Jake to call. And Uncle Jake could then lean on the local PD to get what he wanted.

“Making sense,” Uncle Jake said. “I see it in your eyes. You get it now, Mia.” He pushed from the counter. “Tonight is important to me. I’m going to announce my plan to some dear friends. I’m going to start asking for money. You want to know something about money?”

“What?”

“It gets very slippery when you’re drinking. You know what that means?”

Mia shook her head.

“When a guy walks into the stripclub, he has a budget in mind. He’s going to spend X dollars to see tits and *. Maybe he’ll have a few extra for a private dance. Maybe he’ll have a fantasy of being lucky enough to get off from it all. But then he has a drink. A second, a third. A fourth. What happens?”

“He spends more,” Mia said.

“Exactly. He thinks the more he spends the better chance he’ll have of getting something he wants. The beautiful woman that keeps shaking her tits in his face… maybe she wants him. So he keeps paying her to stay close. That’s what I’m going to need tonight. You’re going to keep the drinks flowing. Fast, strong. Got it?”

“Yes.”

“I’d ask you to show off your tits, but you have none.”

Uncle Jake snickered and Mia fought back anger and pain.

Nate likes me… my body. My chest. He holds me. His tongue… flicking my nipples…