Steel Temptation (Back Down Devil MC #6)(58)

Her lips were moving, but Mia couldn’t talk.

She blinked a few times and the world started to come back to her. The first thing she saw was Nate’s sexy cut jaw and face. His eyes staring down at her. Sweat on his forehead. She felt his strong hands holding her. Keeping her safe.

Slowly, she reached up and touched his cheek. “Nate…”

“I know,” he said. “I’m so sorry, babe.”

“He killed his own son.”

“I know,” Nate said again. “I don’t know what to say.”

“How did… how did you know…”

Emotion finally caught up to the scene. Mia lost it. Tears filled her eyes and spilled with ease. She tried to suck in a breath and it turned into a deep sob. She put her hands to the warm pavement and pushed, bringing herself to a seated position.

“Let’s get out of here and I’ll explain everything,” Nate said.

“I need to know right now. The truth. Everything.”

“Okay,” Nate said. “Okay. Just take a deep breath.”

Mia nodded. She looked at the van and the tears kept flowing. Poor Jacob was in there. Gone. Just his body. Whatever happened after death…

“He’s gone,” she whispered.

“The chief in town,” Nate said. “You know it’s all connected. He gave me a piece of paper with Jacob’s picture on it. He wanted me to find the body. Maybe even bring you here. Mia, babe, I need you to look at me carefully.”

Mia looked at Nate. “I’m looking.”

“They’re trying to f*ck with our heads and hearts. They know they can’t fight Back Down Devil. So they’re working to throw us off our guard. I need to get you back to the clubhouse and keep you safe. Okay, babe? Just you and me now. I’m so sorry about this. About Jacob.”

“It’s…”

“We really need to go,” Nate said. “We have to play all this off. I hate myself for saying that. I hate myself for being cold. But we’re outside right now. We’re in the open. That guy who was following you wasn’t a cop. He was someone working for your uncle, pretending to be a cop.”

“Shit.”

“And he pulled a gun on you?”

“Yeah.”

“It’s getting bad. It’s going to get worse.” Nate then stood up. He offered his hand to Mia. “We have to do this together. I can’t go alone anymore. Not today, tomorrow. Not in my life. You destroyed me, babe. From the second I saw you in your car, following me, you f*cking destroyed me. I can’t waste anymore time. On anything. So I’m telling you right now that I… I really can’t live without you.”

Mia’s chin quivered. How could something so tragic collide with something like this? Nate was bearing his heart to her with death all around. There would be a lot more coming soon.

Mia gave Nate her hand and he pulled her up.

They then set off together, back on Nate’s motorcycle, putting distance between them and the van. Mia did look back one last time, feeling her heart ache.

Right behind them the entire time was two more motorcycles. At first, the sight of them scared Mia, but she quickly realized they were there for protection.

The ride to the clubhouse was eerily quiet. Just the motorcycles on the open road. Mia hands were tight around Nate’s body, knowing that holding on like this had more meaning than just falling off the motorcycle right now. She wanted to hold onto him forever. That meant accepting death in a way she never thought possible. Sure, everyone would eventually take their last breath and be gone, but Nate’s life made it that he tempted death with each breath he took. He didn’t stare at death out on the horizon like most people did, he chased it down, almost wanting it to come.

But with Nate, Mia never felt so alive. And being that alive made death worth it.

Once they arrived, Nate quickly had a hand around Mia’s waist, keeping her close, keeping her feeling safe. Everything he did now had the appeal of romance, whether he meant it or not.

Inside, Erik and Jace were right there, waiting. Miller behind them. Miller pushed through. “What happened?”

“The judge killed his kid,” Nate said. “He was in the van. The one I shot the tires out on. The one that was once filled with drugs. The one that Chief Jerry wanted me to go to.”

“Fuck,” Jace said. “No…”

“Yeah,” Mia said. “I saw…”

“It’s okay,” Nate said. “You don’t have to talk.” Nate kissed the top of her head. “Miller, I have to get to the room. She was being tailed by someone that worked for the judge. In a stolen cruiser.”

“Stolen,” Jace said. “Probably f*cking took it without care or punishment.”

“We have to kill them all,” Erik said.

“Christ, man,” Nate snapped. “Easy.”

“The judge killed his own kid,” Miller said. “Chief Jerry knew the kid was dead I bet. That the kid was in the van.”

“It’s ending,” Nate said. “You want old school, Miller? I’ll give you old school. But it’s happening right f*cking now. I’m not waiting anymore. We know where the lines have been drawn. Where everyone stands.”

“Okay,” Miller said. “You’re right.”