Steel Temptation (Back Down Devil MC #6)(57)

“The gun?”

“Stole that. With cuffs.”

“Cuffs? You were going to cuff Mia?”

“Yeah,” the guy admitted. “I’m just doing my…”

Nate climbed off his ride. He walked to the open window and grabbed the guy by the shirt. He pulled him out of the car and put him to the ground. Nate then stomped on the guy, a heavy boot to his chest, stomach, back up, wanting to smash his skull to the pavement and let his brains leak all over the ground.

But Gaige pulled Nate back. “Bro, easy. Go get Mia and get out of here.”

The two prospects then rolled up on the scene. Nate looked at them. He wanted to believe that they would have done the right thing to save Mia. Hell, they had basically done the right thing already by calling him. He pointed to the prospects and then waved.

“Keep tailing!” he yelled.

They both gave thumbs up.

“I got this one,” Gaige said. “I’m going to cuff him to the front of the car and give Miller a shout. Let the chief deal with this. Not like it f*cking matters.”

“This is bad,” Nate said.

“Yeah, it is. Go. Now.”

Nate got back on his motorcycle and rode up to Mia’s car. She had pulled over and was waiting. She got out of the car and threw her arms around him. Nate slid his right hand around Mia’s waist and hugged her. He kissed her neck and then hurried to take his helmet off. He gave it to Mia and she put it on. Their eyes were locked together and Nate felt a pulse going through his body.

“He did something to Jacob,” Mia said. “I know it. He’s going to make me disappear next.”

Nate thought about the paper in his pocket. The picture. The directions. The van. That’s where Jacob probably was. He hesitated, not wanting to say anything to Mia.

“I know,” Nate caught himself saying. “I might know where he is. Let me take you to the clubhouse first. So you’re protected from all this.”

“No,” Mia said. “If you know where Jacob is… I have to see him. I have to know the truth…”

Mia’s eyes were big and sad. Like she already knew the truth that could be waiting.

“Babe, I don’t want you in…”

“Nate,” Mia yelled. “Please. I can’t be away from you anymore. All those lines we weren’t supposed to cross? They’re f*cked. I’m lost. I’m over the line. I’m past even falling for you. I’m in…”

Nate gritted his teeth. “Get on the ride.”

He didn’t want to hear it. He couldn’t hear it. A woman in love with him…

It made the anger flow through his body.

She wanted to see it all? Fine.

Nate took out the paper and looked at it. He knew right where it was. Just a few miles away. In another rundown industrial part of Frelen. Against the edge of the town that bled out into the desert. Buildings, factories, warehouses that would never sell because the people - the entities - needed the buildings and the lots for their own personal use.

As Nate rode through a peeled back chain link gate, he wondered if this was a set up. To kill him. To get Mia. He looked back to make sure the prospects were tailing him.

They were.

Nate rode around to the side of the building and saw the van. The white goddamn van. The tires were still shot out from when Nate took care of them. There wasn’t going to be any drugs in the van though. Those were already delivered.

When Nate stopped, Mia hurried off the motorcycle. Nate tried grabbing for her. She twisted her wrist, did a full spin, and broke away. Moving fast, Nate went after Mia. He got to her as she grabbed the handle to the backdoor of the van. She pulled as Nate’s left hand was around her belly and her right hand down at her wrist.

“Babe, let me do it,” Nate growled in her ear. “Please…”

Mia threw a left elbow to Nate’s gut. It didn’t hurt at all, but he knew she wasn’t going to give this up.

So Nate backed up.

He let Mia open the door to the van.

Nate wanted to see Jacob sitting there. To see him tied up, hurt, whatever, but his eyes open, staring at Mia and Nate.

Not a f*cking chance…

The door opened and Jacob was in the back of the van.

Dead.





twenty-four.



Mia saw Jacob in the van. He was just there. On his side. For a second she thought he had curled up in a ball. Maybe he was sleeping. Maybe he was just scared, thinking he was going to die. But then something else happened… Mia’s eyes were in control before the rest of her senses. When the smell hit her nose, she finally turned her head. She took two steps and dropped to her knees. She heard the door click shut and turned her head to see Nate standing there. His face looked pale. He was afraid. He was terrified.

As he started to drop down, touching Mia’s back, she shut her eyes and felt the world spinning. So fast, so hard… Jacob’s dead. He f*cking killed Jacob. Gone forever. Just like he did with Aunt Theresa. And he’s going to kill me next.

Mia opened her eyes, but it was still all dark. Her body shook and she fell forward. Hands grabbed her, touched her, held her.

“Babe, I’m right here,” Nate’s voice echoed. “I’m right here. You’re okay. I promise, you’re okay. You’ll be okay. I’ll protect you through this.”