Steel Temptation (Back Down Devil MC #6)(43)

“I thought about asking your co-workers to come, but I’ll save that for another night.”

Mia nodded. “Okay. That’s fine.”

“That’s fine?” Uncle Jake shook his head. “Do this for me, Mia. Help me get all this. I’ll take care of you.” Uncle Jake touched her cheek. “I realize what happened between us before was wrong. I shouldn’t have come on so strong. But you know my intentions with you. And we’ll get there. Slowly. Build trust. I like the thrill of the hunt. And eventually… I’ll feast…”

He leaned in like he wanted to kiss her.

Mia turned her head and slipped away. “I’m going to get some coffee.” She rushed to the coffeepot and poured herself a cup. “Hey, where’s Jacob?”

“Friend’s house,” Uncle Jake said, coldly.

“Again?”

“Him and his best friend… they can’t get enough…”

Mia watched how quickly her uncle dismissed it. Like he had already found a way to live life without Jacob around.

“Is he okay?” Mia asked. “I mean, with all the school stuff…”

Uncle Jake looked at her. “Stay out of it. It’s a delicate situation. It requires a delicate solution.” Uncle Jake’s cell phone rang. He grabbed the phone and started bellowing and barking orders about judgements, dates, hearing, and other legal stuff.

He stormed out of the house and Mia stormed to the stairs.

She had to see Jacob’s room again.

Mia rushed up the stairs and opened the bedroom door. How badly she wanted to see Jacob in the room. On the floor playing with cars or a video game or something.

But the room was the exact same as before. Like nothing had been touched or moved. The sight absolutely scary. Like someone who lost their child and refused to touch the room for the sake of memory. Mia knew that Uncle Jake ran a tight ship and would definitely make sure Jacob had the room clean everyday. But nothing had been moved. The pillows on the bed were in the exact same position. The bottom corner of the comforter was slightly pulled up. Just like before.

There was one thing different. And that was a white piece of paper on the bed. As Mia approached, she realized it was a note. A typed and printed note. She leaned over the bed and was about to grab the note when she realized what it was.

A goodbye letter… from Jacob. He had run away and didn’t want to be found. If anyone tried to find him, he’d be dead. He missed his mother too much to go on…

Reading it sent chills through Mia’s body. Her bottom lips started to quiver with a paralyzing fear. She suddenly felt watched in the room.

This was what happened with Aunt Theresa.

The so-called fights and then a note… a phone call… then she was just gone. Never to be found again. Uncle Jake accepting that his wife had left him. Everything had happened to sudden and so smooth.

He was doing it again, now with Jacob.

Mia felt like she could throw up.

Knowing what happened last time she was upstairs, she hurried to shut the door and rush downstairs. She was back at the counter, holding her mug of coffee, drinking it, as Uncle Jake came back inside. He looked at her and knew something was up. But he didn’t talk about it.

“I have to take care of some things,” he said. “I expect you to leave before I’m out of the shower. I’ll send you the address for tonight. You need to look like a f*cking whore.” Uncle Jake reached into his pocket and put money on the table. “Go get whatever you feel you need to make that happen. Got it?”

“Yes.”

Uncle Jake walked to the archway of the kitchen and then paused. He looked at Mia. “You need to leave Jacob alone. He’s fine. He’s at a friend’s house. Don’t stick your nose where it doesn’t belong. That’s how bad things happen.”

The message was clear and as a threat.

Uncle Jake left the room.

Mia grabbed her keys, the cash off the table, and ran. She left the house and made to the edge of the lawn before she hunched over and got sick. Uncle Jake had taken out his wife and now his son. He was hell bent on taking over Frelen from Back Down Devil MC.

And Mia was smack dab in the middle of it all… with nothing to gain from the situation… maybe except Nate. But they weren’t supposed to fall for each other.





eighteen.



Miller turned and threw the cell phone against the wall. It shattered into dozens of pieces. He then attacked the wall, punching hard enough to make a few nice dents. He tore a picture off the wall next and slammed it against a table. Glass flew everywhere. He spun, facing the full table, everyone standing.

Nate slowly took his gun out and put it on the table. A sign of respect to the President, but a subtle warning to maybe calm the f*ck down. It took guts to pull a gun on the President of a MC. But the anger in Miller’s eyes told Nate that whatever he was feeling ran miles deep.

When Miller saw the gun, he gave a nod. Nate took the gun back and put it away.

This was supposed to just be a quick meeting before they broke up and worked their way to the poker game. It was driving Nate insane to imagine Mia at the game right now, being harassed by rich men. Keeping tabs on the underground illegal shit was impossible to do. The MC had broken up enough games, mostly to chase away any outside visitors. This was far different. They knew it wasn’t just about poker and *. There was more to all of this.