STEEL TEMPTATION (A Back Down Devil MC Romance Novel) (21 page)

Mia looked forward and hung her
head.

Nate felt a tear rip through his
heart. Christ, there had been a time when he used that line so much.
You don
’
t need to see him ever
again. You don
’
t
need to see your family. You
’
ll
never see your kids.

All those demons were clawing at
him.

Nate leaned forward and reached for
Mia
’
s shoulder.
“
Hey, babe, I
’
m just trying to protect you.
That
’
s all.
”

“
I
need to find out what happened to Jacob,
”
Mia whispered.
“
I just need
to know he
’
s okay. I
’
m sorry, Nate. Whatever happens
with my uncle, I need to make sure that Jacob is okay. That he
’
ll have somewhere to go when
this is all done.
”

“
And
what about you?
”
Nate
asked.
“
Where are you going
when this is all done?
”

Mia looked back again, tears in her
eyes.
“
I don
’
t know. I don
’
t really care either.
”

“
You
can crash here.
”

“
I
can crash? That
’
s it? Just
…
crash
…”

Nate sighed.
“
I like you. A real lot, babe. I
mean, I
’
m falling for you
right now. You see this life. There is no escaping it because I want it.
”

Mia nodded.
“
I know. I
’
ve
never had anything feel like this before. I keep telling myself it
’
s everything else pushing in,
but it
’
s the opposite. It
’
s inside me, Nate, pushing out.
To you. For you. Because of you.
”

Mia turned. Her perky breasts,
slender shoulders, beautiful face. All for the goddamn taking. She leaned toward
Nate and he grabbed her, pulling her right on top of him. He then held her for
a few minutes in silence.

Shutting his eyes, he said,
“
You should go then. To do what
you have to do.
”

“
I
have to make sure
…”

“
I
get it. But you have to be careful. This is even more real, Mia. If he comes
near you
…”

“
I
can get away,
”
Mia
whispered.

She kissed Nate
’
s chest. It sent a fire through
his body.

Nate reached for the nightstand and
opened the top drawer. He took out a small gun and placed it on his stomach.

“
Jesus
Christ,
”
Mia said.

“
Take
this,
”
Nate said.
“
Just in case. If he tries to
fucking touch you, shoot him. I
’
ll
cover for you. I
’
ll figure
something out.
”

Mia lifted her head.
“
Nate
…”

“
No,
”
he growled at her.
“
I care about you too much to
send you over there blind. You don
’
t
know what you
’
re going to
be walking into. You know how to play it, so I trust you, babe. I don
’
t like it, but I trust you.
”

“
I
’
ll be back,
”
Mia said.
“
I promise.
”

She lifted herself to her knees,
looking stunning.

Nate
’
s
eyes scanned down her body, tracing her curves with his memory. Looking between
her legs, they were just a little open, enough for him to see the curve and
beauty of her slit.

Instead of reaching between her
legs, he reached up and touched her cheek.
“
Don
’
t promise anything you can
’
t control, babe.
”

Mia opened her mouth and Nate shook
his head.

No more words. We
’
ve already crossed the
line, putting it miles behind us. We just can
’
t
…

Mia leaned down and kissed Nate.

One quick and perfect kiss. Wrapped
in enough romance to make anyone sick. It pissed Nate off that he let it become
this. Too late to turn back now, so he walked Mia out of the clubhouse and to
her car. She got in the car, started it, and started to creep forward. Nate let
her go without going for another kiss. There was a sense of control he demanded
of himself.

Guided by heart was not the way to
get through this fight.

The car left and Nate set out for
prospects. Part of him wanted to fight a couple, just to relieve some stress.
Instead, he grabbed two by their cuts and put them against the wall.

“
Get
on your ride and follow Mia,
”
he growled.
“
You don
’
t let her see you. You don
’
t let anyone see you. If
anything seems wrong, you call me. Got it?
”

“
Yes,
”
they both said at the same
time.

“
And
if you get tagged
…
swallow
a bullet. This is warfare. There
’
s
no prisoners.
”

Nate walked away. He cracked his
knuckles. The last time he felt this tense was right before shit hit the fan
with the
family
.

He jumped up on a table and sat
there, hands folded, just thinking.

Thinking of what it was like being
chained up, getting beat up and cut. Waiting to bleed to death. The sound of
the garage door peeling open and seeing Miller standing there. How it changed
his entire life. Working for the
family
was hell. Living on the edge,
being an outlaw, that was heaven.

Now there was a different kind of
heaven
…
the feelings Mia
provided.

Nate started to slide from the
table, needing to find Miller and a drink. They needed a plan, right now. The
second Mia checked on things, it was time to take out the judge.

With one foot on the ground, Nate
heard a sound. He watched as a police cruiser - lights flashing - made a sharp
turn into the lot. Even from the distance he could see Chief Jerry behind the
wheel.

“
Fuck,
”
Nate growled.

Chief was here. Mia was gone. All
hell was breaking loose.

And death
…
it sat right on the horizon.

twenty-two.

This time, Mia didn
’
t give a shit. She had a gun
next to her on the passenger seat. The little thing terrified her though. She
had no experience with guns. She wanted nothing to do with holding a gun or
firing a gun. Bad enough the image of Nate shooting that Coast Road guy was
fresh in Mia
’
s memory. The
guy
’
s stomach being ripped
open. The guy sticking his own fingers in the open wound. The blood, dark red,
thick, like syrup
…

Mia pulled into Uncle Jake
’
s driveway and hurried to park.
She shut her eyes and licked her lips. Her stomach pulled, twisted, wanting to
unload. She took a few breaths, refusing to throw up right now. She chased away
the sights her memory would never forget and stayed focused. She needed to make
sure Uncle Jake was happy and she needed to find Jacob. To make sure he was
okay.

To help him
…
but how?

That was the hard part. Mia had
nothing to offer. Unless she could get Jacob to go with her and throw him into
the arms of Back Down Devil MC. Maybe Jacob could grow up
…

“
Jesus,
”
Mia whispered.

That
’
s
what she wanted for her young cousin? To be thrust into that kind of life? To
grow up drinking, smoking, fucking anything with a pussy, and murdering like it
was a common thing?

Sadly, that life would be better
than anything Uncle Jake could offer.

Mia got out of her car. She knew
Uncle Jake didn
’
t like her
parking in the driveway. Her beater car didn
’
t
match the luxury vehicles that lined the street like the perfectly placed
trees. A postcard of the upper class life. Mia wondered if anyone else on the
street was as twisted and sickening as her uncle.

She walked to the door and knocked.
She put her hands to her sides and went into instant panic.

The gun.

She forgot the fucking gun in the
car. On the seat. Mia turned, and took a step.

The door opened.
“
Leaving so soon?
”

She stopped and stiffened. Taking a
breath, she calmed herself.

When she turned, Uncle Jake shook
his head.
“
You look like
shit. You look scared to death. Are you high?
”

“
High?
No. I
’
m not
…”

“
Why
are you nervous?
”

Mia swallowed hard. She had no
protection right now. From anything.

“
Can
I come in?
”

“
Why
did you come to the front door?
”

“
I
don
’
t know,
”
Mia said.
“
I
’
m
in a hurry
…”

“
Where
you going next?
”

“
I
…
they, uh, the guys
…
Back Down Devil
…
what happened
…
they didn
’
t know about the other bikers.
Right? They
’
re worried
about
…
it
…
all
…”

Holy shit, I
’
m ruining this. I
’
m ruining everything.

“
Oh?
”
Uncle Jake asked.

“
Hey,
where
’
s Jacob?
”
Mia asked.
“
Is he home? Can I see him real
quick?
”

“
Why
are you so worried about Jacob?
”

“
I
’
m always worried about him,
”
Mia said.
“
You know that. I care about him.
He
’
s like the little
brother I never had.
”

Mia forced a smile.

Uncle Jake wasn
’
t buying it.

“
Brother
you never had? Please. If you were my daughter, you
’
d
…”
Uncle Jake looked around.
“
Come
inside, quickly.
”

Mia entered the house through the
front door. It was weird doing so.

Again, as she walked through the
downstairs of the house there was no sign of a kid. Yeah, Uncle Jake kept a
tight ship on things, but the aura of the house was just off. Mia felt her
heart pounding in her chest.

Something
’
s wrong. Something
’
s very wrong here.

Uncle Jake stopped at the entrance
to the kitchen. He stood with his back to Mia.
“
I 
don
’
t have any coffee or
anything made. Hope that
’
s
not a problem.
”

“
Oh,
not at all,
”
Mia said.
“
I
’
m
fine. Just
…
everything last
night
…”

Uncle Jake walked again.

Once they were in the kitchen,
Uncle Jake took a seat and moved the newspaper out of the way. He looked at Mia
as she stood at the black marble covered island in the middle of the kitchen.
She wanted to keep her distance,
just in case
.

Her heart still pounded, angry at
herself for forgetting the damn gun.

“
Nothing
happened to you, right?
”
Uncle Jake asked.
“
You
weren
’
t hurt?
”

“
No,
”
Mia said.
“
No. I got out. I left with them.
They were persistent, confused. They were worried all night about it. That
those other guys
…”

“
Coast
Road MC,
”
Uncle Jake said.
“
Very dumb men. I
’
m not going to lie. I tried to
appease everyone though. I tried to be fair. I figured if you just
…
you know, bent over and took
one for me, it would help. But you hit him. You attacked him. You fought.
”

“
I
had to,
”
Mia said.
“
I don
’
t
…”

“
I
understand. There
’
s
something greater at stake.
”

“
I
never asked to be part of that. I just wanted to help with the game, like I
always do. And then make a little money and slip away.
”

“
And
check on Jacob.
”

Mia swallowed hard.
“
Yes. Check on Jacob.
”

Uncle Jake laughed.
“
You fear for his life, don
’
t you?
”

“
Why
would I?
”

“
You
know where Jacob is?
”

“
No,
”
Mia said.
“
I
’
m
asking you
…”

“
He
ran away. Okay? He left a note and ran away.
”

“
And
you
’
re calm right now?
”

Uncle Jake brought a fist to the
table.
“
This is who I am,
Mia. I care. I
’
ve spoken
personally with the Chief in Frelen. He
’
s
taking this to heart for me. There
’
s
a plan in motion to find Jacob. He
’
s
a troubled young man. Situations in school could have been dealt with a
different way. But it was them
…
those people in that motorcycle club that fucked his mind up for good. They
almost turned him into a killer. He wanted to harm. He wanted to keep harming.
What am I to do with that?
”

“
What
did you do?
”
Mia asked.

“
I
handled him,
”
Uncle Jake
said.
“
I tried to straighten
him. But he felt freedom was better off. So that
’
s
what he has now. Freedom. He
’
s
gone. I didn
’
t want to tell
you because I knew it would upset you. Okay? But I assure you, it
’
s going to be okay.
”

“
No,
it
’
s not,
”
Mia said.
“
This whole thing
…”

Uncle Jake lifted the newspaper and
tossed it across the table. That
’
s
when Mia saw the gun. Uncle Jake put his hand to the weapon and just stared at
her with cold, dark eyes.

“
This
whole thing,
”
Uncle Jake
said.
“
Go on, tell me about
this whole thing. What
’
s
your version of it? The one where you fuck all the bikers? Where you get on
your knees and suck their dicks? Where you act like a fucking bitch whore and
leave me?
”

Mia sidestepped.
“
You have it wrong. You told me
…”

“
The
war is already over,
”
Uncle
Jake said.
“
Just because
they
’
re still walking doesn
’
t mean a thing. I hope you
remember that, Mia. Power always wins. Not muscle. Not grit. Not a fucking
motorcycle. Yet that
’
s what
you want.
”

“
I
never said that. I just want to see Jacob.
”

“
Then
go find him. Save him.
”
Uncle
Jake lifted the gun. It was pointed right at Mia.
“
Save yourself while you
’
re at it.
”

Mia glanced from the corner of her
eye. There was a silver canister filled with steel utensils. They were probably
expensive, all unused, there to match the decor of the kitchen. But that
provided a small chance for Mia. She hurried, grabbing the canister, and then
threw it toward Uncle Jake. It came nowhere near reaching him, but it was
enough to let Mia turn and run.

She waited for the gunshot, but it
never came.

That didn
’
t mean Mia could stop though.

She kept running.

To the front door.

She opened and fled the house. Her
car felt like it was a mile away.

Mia got to her car, climbed inside,
and started it. She saw the gun next to her on the passenger seat. She wondered
what would have happened inside if she actually brought the gun with her?

Would she have shot Uncle Jake?

She looked out the window and saw
him
…
Uncle Jake standing at
the front door. It was open and he had one foot on the porch.

His hands were empty now.

He lifted one hand and gave a quick
wave.

“
Shit,
”
Mia whispered.

She backed down the driveway and
sped away. She reached for her cell and hurried to call Nate. At the first stop
sign, she waited an extra few seconds to catch her breath.

Nate picked up the call with a
“
What
’
s wrong?
”
as a
blip
sound
echoed around her.

Mia checked the mirror and saw a
cop behind her. Lights flashing.

“
Holy
shit,
”
she said.
“
I
’
m
getting pulled over.
”

Mia crept forward slowly, the cop
right on her ass.

“
What?
”
Nate asked.

“
I
have a gun in the car. I
’
ll
go to jail, Nate.
”

“
What
happened?
”

“
He
pulled a gun on me. He knows everything.
”
The siren went off behind her. She looked in the mirror again and the officer
was waving his hands. Mia shook her head.
“
What
do I do? Nate
…
if I stop
and he sees the gun. Or searches the car. I should have stayed with Uncle Jake.
”

“
No!
”
Nate bellowed.
“
You keep going, babe. I swear to
you, just keep going. Do not stop. No matter what.
”

Mia checked the mirror a third
time.

The officer now had a gun in his
hand.