Steel Temptation (Back Down Devil MC #6)(44)

“Miller,” Gaige said. “Talk to us.”

“It was all delivered.”

“What was?” Nate asked.

“The van.”

It was then like the air been sucked out of the room.

“Shit,” Gaige said. “The entire thing?”

“Driven by Chief Jerry himself,” Nate said. “He must have had the tires fixed and then did it himself.”

“We know that for sure?” Blaine asked.

Miller looked at Blaine. “I just talked to Johnny in Crestman. They watched the f*cking shit go down. Chief Jerry explaining that the van had come under attack. But it was good. Promises were always going to be kept.”

“Fuck,” Gaige said. He punched the table and stood up.

Soon, everyone was standing. It was like a riot getting ready to explode in the clubhouse.

Miller put his hands out. “Okay. Let’s take a second here. Absorb this shit. Chief Jerry is against us. We knew that though.”

“He’s getting bolder,” Nate said. “Because of Judge Jake. Coast Road MC. It’s getting thick.”

“It’s going to get thicker,” Griffin said. “Something has to give.”

“Tonight,” Miller said. “I’d like to assume Chief Jerry will be there. Why not? He’s part of their group now. We’re going to bust into that game and destroy everything. That’s the plan. Scare the f*cking shit out of them. Send a clear message to Judge Jake.”

“This breaks all silence,” Jace said. “Not that I give a shit. But this will…”

“This is going to open it all up,” Griffin said. “Everything we say, we do, it’s going to be scrutinized. Police are going to be here driving us crazy.”

“Yeah,” Miller said. “I know.”

“If we don’t,” Nate said, “they’re going to keep trying to overrun us. To keep pushing drugs through town. I don’t think we can trust Chief Jerry at all anymore. Not even if we needed a favor. We knew he was going to set those Coast Road guys free. But he took the van and made the delivery. Do we know who he’s distributing to?”

“Suits and ties,” Miller said with a strong gaze at Nate.

“No f*cking way. Family stuff?”

“Could be,” Miller said.

Nate felt his chest tighten with anger.

“What does that imply for us?” Gaige asked. “If we f*ck with them…”

“Doesn’t matter,” Miller said. “We keep our town safe. This is ours. The MC is in control. We are not going to bow to authority. And if this opens something bigger than we’ve ever seen… then we fight until there’s no more fight.”

“Until I’m dead,” Blaine said.

“Agreed,” Gaige said.

“In,” Jace said.

“In,” Erik said.

Without calling for an actual vote the entire table gave a vote. They would fight, as they were meant to do. To represent the patch, the cut, the club.

In the back of Nate’s mind he thought about Mia. Never before had he considered someone else when getting set to put his life on the line.

It was getting too serious.

That meant it was time to get her out of here for good. Rescue her from the poker game tonight and get her out of Frelen. Nate could call in a favor from another charter to get to her and then help her move. Maybe south, definitely east. Get the hell out of the way and out of danger. Mia deserved more than all this bullshit.

“Nate?” Miller asked.

“What?”

“We have the address and time?”

Nate nodded. “Yeah. Mia sent it to me, as promised. She’s there. If we bust in… are we firing?”

“We do what needs to be done,” Miller said.

Nate gritted his teeth.

He didn’t want Mia to get hurt. Or killed. He wanted to speak out and make the club promise nothing would happen to her. But that would never happen. This was do or die. All in. And rightfully so. Nate couldn’t protect Mia right now. He could get into that poker game, destroy some shit, and hope to leave with her. If it didn’t happen…

Anger boiled and Nate grabbed his chair. He spun, throwing it against the back wall. It hit the wall with a loud thud and he kept his back to the table. No woman had ever cut through his shell like Mia had.

“Bro,” Gaige said. “It’s okay. We’re not going in there to kill her. I know what it’s like to send someone you care about into danger. It hurts pretty f*cking bad.”

“She didn’t ask for it,” Nate said.

“Not many people do,” Blaine said.

Nate turned his head and saw Blaine approaching him. The crazy son of a bitch put a hand to Nate’s shoulder.

“Hey,” Blaine said. “I’m not usually a fan of small tits, but that woman is pretty hot. I can almost promise you I won’t shoot her tonight. I mean, I won’t be aiming. Maybe with my cock, but that’s a whole other thing. And, hey, when we get out of there… you and I could double team her.”

“I f*cking hate you,” Nate said. He stepped away from Blaine and turned toward the door. He then looked at Miller. “This f*cking changes everything.”

“That’s what all the fights do,” Miller said. “The end result we try to keep the same. That’s Frelen being ours and the people in it being safe.”