by Bella Jewel
COHEN
BELLA JEWEL 2020
Also by Bella Jewel
Iron Fury MC
Darkest Hour
Sassy Little Thing
Our Final Tale
Whiskey Burning
Hushed Torment
Me, please.
Jokers' Wrath MC
Melancholy
Anguish
Desolation
Precarious
Jokers' Wrath Boxed Set
Bestie
Valiant
King's Descendants MC
Cohen
MC Sinners
Hell's Knights
MC Sinners Next Generation
Manacle
Drifter
Rumblin' Knights
Knights Rising
Knights Fury
Knights Burden
The MC Sinners Series
Knights' Sinner
Heaven's Sinners
Standalone
Number Thirteen
Wingman (Woman)
'Til Death
'Til Death Pt 2
'Til Death Boxed Set
Flawed Heart
Flawed Love
How To Fall In Love
Pandemonium
Fleeting Moments
Amore - Boxed Set
Wild Child
Table of Contents
Title Page
Also By Bella Jewel
DEDICATION
~*COHEN*~
COHEN | Copyright © 2020 Bella Jewel
~*ACKNOWLEDGMENTS*~
PROLOGUE | THEN – AVIANA
1 | NOW – AVIANA
2 | NOW – AVIANA
3 | THEN – COHEN
COHEN – NOW
4 | NOW – AVIANA
5 | THEN – COHEN
6 | NOW – AVIANA
7 | NOW – AVIANA
8 | THEN – COHEN
9 | NOW – AVIANA
10 | NOW – AVIANA
11 | THEN – COHEN
NOW – COHEN
12 | NOW – AVIANA
13 | THEN – COHEN
COHEN – NOW
14 | NOW – AVIANA
15 | NOW – AVIANA
16 | NOW – AVIANA
17 | NOW – COHEN
18 | NOW – AVIANA
19 | NOW – COHEN
20 | NOW – AVIANA
21 | NOW – AVIANA
22 | NOW – COHEN
23 | NOW – AVIANA
THE END
Also By Bella Jewel
DEDICATION
To Lance
For believing in me and kicking my ass to keep writing even when I didn’t want to.
For this awesome title. I suppose it’s pretty good ☺
For always making me laugh, even if I occasionally snort.
For loving me harder than I’ve ever been loved.
For being the best damn thing to ever happen to me.
This is for you.
It’s always for you.
~*COHEN*~
All rights reserved. This eBook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This eBook is copyright material and must not be copied, reproduced, transferred, distributed, leased, licensed or publicly performed or used in any form without prior written permission of the publisher, as allowed under the terms and conditions under which it was purchased or as strictly permitted by applicable copyright law. Any unauthorized distribution, circulation or use of this text may be a direct infringement of the author’s rights, and those responsible may be liable in law accordingly. Thank you for respecting the work of this author.
COHEN
Copyright © 2020 Bella Jewel
COHEN is a work of fiction. All names, characters, places and events portrayed in this book either are from the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, establishments, events, or location is purely coincidental and not intended by the author.
~*ACKNOWLEDGMENTS*~
As always, my heartfelt thanks to every single blogger, reader and author that has supported my journey. From reading my books, to sharing them, to raving about them, to being there for me. Thank you. My career would be nothing without any of you.
A huge thanks to the gorgeous ladies from Give Me Books for organizing my reveals and blitzes. You all do such an amazing job. No matter how many times I use you, I am always blown away by how efficient you are. Nothing is ever a drama. Thank you for giving me so much support.
A massive thanks to Ben Ellis from Tall Story Designs for this gorgeous cover. You’re the easiest, most efficient person I’ve ever worked with. You make my covers absolutely gorgeous every single time. I couldn’t do it without you.
To my favorite editor Wendi from Ready, set, edit, for always coming through for me on my edits, whenever I need them. You’re amazing and I’m so thankful to you. You’re super easy to work with and so nice. I’m glad to team up with you for these things.
And of course, to my admin, MJ, for ALWAYS keeping my page running beautifully. I couldn’t do it without you, girly. I love your teasers and your passion; thank you for taking the time out of your life to help this poor girl keep everything running.
And, last but certainly not least, to my loyal readers. To each and every one of you that picks up my books and give me a chance. To the reviews you write, good or bad. To the time you take to make me a better person. You make this real for me; never stop giving such love and passion. You make our journey so amazing.
PROLOGUE
THEN – AVIANA
I’m trembling as I stare at the utter horror that has been left behind in my home. I’m not supposed to be here, but I couldn’t not come back and see again, like the first time wasn’t enough.
My entire family—dead.
All of them.
Every single god damned one.
They’re all gone. My brothers. My father. Their lifeless bodies lie on the floor, blood trickling from their mouths, soaking into the floor, forever haunting my memories with the absolute hell that biker club just brought into my life.
I’m too afraid to move, scared that if I do, everything will come crashing down around me and I’ll be forever stuck here with them and their bloodied bodies. I can’t seem to look away, even though I know the best thing would be for me to call the police and be done with this. I stare at my brother Rory’s gaping head. He has been shot right in the forehead, and the mess it left behind is something I’ll never forget.
My father and other brother, Manny, have had their throats slit. Wide gaping wounds, their eyes staring blankly at the ceiling. I grasp at my throat, and I know I have to get out of here. I have to go and never come back. The club that did this, I thought they were good ... I thought he was good. I’ve known Cohen for a long time, and I never thought he’d hurt my family, I never thought he’d leave me with nothing, I never thought, even for a single second, that he’d take everything from me.
He’s a monster.
I think of Briella, knowing she’s my best friend, also knowing I’ll likely never see her again.
I’ve seen too much.
I know too much.
I finally get my feet to move, and I walk over to the safe, the safe where my father kept everything important. Whatever he was up to, this safe holds the key. I punch in a few codes, and pain crashes into my chest when I realize the code is my birthday. Never in a million years did I think he’d use anything to do with me. My father doesn’t love me, at least, that’s what I believed. Now, I’m not so sure. I pull the safe open and stare at the contents inside. There ar
e a heap of papers, some photos, and a few guns. There is also a good load of cash, probably tens of thousands.
My heart leaps into my throat.
I scoop it all out and turn.
I pause, and my heart jumps into my throat as I see Cohen standing in the doorway, staring at me.
He’s got a gun.
“Are you here to finish the job?” I whisper.
“No,” he growls, low. “You’re going to give me everything you have there, and then you’re going to disappear. Do you understand me?”
My hands are trembling, even though they’re full of the contents from the safe. I’m glad Cohen can’t see how scared I am.
“No,” I say, my voice shaky. “No, you’re not having this stuff.”
“You’re goin’ to give it to me, Aviana, or I’m goin’ to make you give it to me.”
“I thought we were friends,” I whisper. “You took my entire family, and now you want the last of what I have left?”
“We are friends, which is exactly why I’ve got to do this. What you have there is not somethin’ you will be safe havin’. If you leave, and you’ve got it, you’ll be hunted.”
What could it possibly be?
What could Cohen want that is so dangerous?
I stare at the bundle in my hands, and Cohen takes a step closer. “Give it to me and get the hell out of here. Never come back. You come back, you’ll die. Your family is incredibly dangerous, and you’re not safe.”
“Not safe from who?” I whisper. “You?”
“I did what I had to do.”
“You killed them all!” I scream, gripping the sides of my head and shaking it, eyes clenched shut. “I trusted you, Cohen. I ... I thought ...”
My eyes pop open to see him taking a step forward, pulling a needle from his pocket. Realization of what he’s going to do hits me hard, and I take a frantic step backward. “I care about you, so much, which is why I don’t want to have to do this, Aviana, but I will.”
“Please,” I say. “I thought you were all my family ...”
His eyes harden and he shakes his head, his voice bitter when he growls, “You’re not family. You’re a means to an end. We got what we needed. Now, you need to leave.”
He doesn’t mean that. Surely, he doesn’t mean that. He’s just saying it so I’ll hate him, so I’ll do as he asks. I know him, we’re friends, maybe even more than that - he wouldn’t be so cruel ... not after everything we’ve shared.
“You’d hurt me?”
His eyes flash. “Leave, Aviana.”
“Alarick would never hurt me. Briella ...”
“Alarick has nothin’ to do with this ...”
“King ...”
“You’re pushin’ me. Get the fuck out.”
I move to run, but he’s fast. So god damned fast. He lunges at me and plunges the needle into my neck. The effects are immediate and, as I sway, all the contents of the safe fall to the ground and scatter. Money flies everywhere, papers separate, and one piece lands in the pool of blood around my father. Cohen catches me as my legs give way. “Who are you?” I whisper, eyelids getting heavy.
“Someone you’re never goin’ to see again. I’m sorry, Aviana. I’m doin’ this for you.”
Then my entire world goes black.
1
NOW – AVIANA
“I can’t believe you’re here,” Briella cries, hugging me so tightly my insides twitch.
I want her to get off me. Not because I don’t love her, but because I hate being touched. Despise it. Dread it. I want her hands away from my body, a body that I’ve used and abused for years. A body I hate.
I step back, forcing her to let go. I stare at her, once my best friend, the only person in the world I had outside of my aunt Carrie, who is now gone. But her club took everything from me. King had my family killed. Cohen made sure I disappeared. They ruined everything. Now I’m back to give them a god damned dose of their own medicine.
I hate that I have to hurt my best friend in the process.
But that’s just how life goes, right?
“I’m glad to be back,” I say to her, my voice not at all convincing.
“Where have you been?”
“Around,” I murmur, glancing at Cohen who is walking inside the house.
He’s avoiding me.
He knows that I know.
I know everything.
I’m going to make him wish he was never born.
“One moment.” I smile at Briella. “I really need to pee and then we can talk about everything.”
Like I fucking want to talk about anything.
“I’m so glad you’re here, seriously.” She smiles. “I thought I’d never see you again.”
I flash her the fakest smile I’ve ever managed to conjure up and then walk toward the clubhouse where the man who took my entire life just disappeared. I know what me being here is doing to him, I know exactly what is going through his mind right now. After all, his little club doesn’t know he had anything to do with my disappearance, nor do they know he took information that they needed. He took it, and I want it back. I want whatever was in that safe, because whatever it was, changed the entire course of my life. For whatever reason, Cohen decided he was the only one who would have access to that information.
He’s fighting a losing battle. I’m here to reclaim who I am, and I’m starting with making him pay for every single thing he put me through when he made me disappear.
I walk into the clubhouse and, for a moment, just a moment, I take in the surroundings of the place I was once, so familiar with. It is still filled with the same things it was when I used to hang out here with Briella, and the smell brings back memories of laughter and beer and so many things that need to remain as nothing more than memories. I don’t need those in my life, what I need is vengeance.
What I need is the truth.
I find Cohen standing by the bar, his back to me.
The years have changed him, that’s for certain.
His young man features have been replaced with rugged masculinity that is incredibly inviting. He always did look like a rugged Ken doll, but now he has an edge to him that brings out a certain level of danger.
His hair is still that dusky blond, messy and falling all over the place. Untamed and wild. His eyes, still the same breathtaking silver, the kind of eyes you rarely see. His body is bigger, filled out to the point it stretches the tee he’s wearing. He’s covered in tattoos, and as always, he’s sporting the leather jacket that tells the entire world who he is.
A biker.
Someone not to be messed with.
“You can’t hide from me.”
My voice comes out low, husky, and slightly whip like.
Cohen turns slowly, his face hard as he takes me in. “What the ever-lovin’ fuck are you doin’ here, Aviana? Why would you ever think you could come back here?”
“You know exactly what I am here, you were only hoping I’d never show my face again. Tell me, Cohen, do they know yet that it was you who made me disappear? That you took something of mine? That you’ve known where I am all this time?”
“I didn’t fuckin’ know where you were, you didn’t end up where you were supposed to.”
“Oh.” I laugh bitterly. “What a shock? When you give a girl to a stranger and have them take her away, you honestly believe she’s going to be safe?”
“I did the best I could at the time,” he growls. “I thought you would get to begin a new life. I didn’t know...”
“Don’t fucking lie to me. You can fool everyone else, but you can’t fool me. I’m not going to let you get away with this, I’m here to make sure you go down—”
He moves quickly, like a bolt of lightning coming directly for me. His hand closes around my throat and he hauls me up into the air like I weigh nothing. I don’t struggle, I don’t scream, god, he doesn’t even begin to scare me. Instead, I smile, even though my vision is starting to get blotchy and my head feels like it’s filli
ng with blood so fast it makes me want to shake it. I smile in a way that I know is evil, and sadistic, and I don’t have a god damned care in the world.
“What are you going to do, Cohen? Kill me? Right here in the club?”
He drops me to the floor like a rag doll, and I stumble, tripping until I fall on my bottom. I look up at him, never losing the smile. “Is that the best you’ve got?”
“What the fuck do you want?” he roars, slamming his fist into the bar. “Why the fuck are you here?”
“You know exactly why I’m here.”
His jaw tightens, and he gives me a glare that’s so terrifying, even I pause ... not for long, though.
“I don’t have anything you want. Those documents were a load of fuckin’ nothin’. That money is long gone. I sent you away. I did that because I had to.”
“You had to?” I ask, standing and taking a step closer. “You had to send me away to a bunch of fucking people that were to make sure I never fucking came back? I was a god damned girl, I had no chance, no hope. You plunged me into hell, but you didn’t think I’d find a way out. What sort of god damned monster are you? How have you lived with yourself all these years, knowing you are the reason I’m fucking broken?”
He flinches. “I did what I had to do. You were too deeply involved, even if you didn’t know it. I was protectin’ you. Did what needed to be done. If King ever found out ...”
“That you killed my entire family?” I bark. “And for what? What did you need to die with them, Cohen?”
His eyes flash. “What do you want? Money? You want me to fuckin’ pay you out? I’ll do it. Just get the fuck out of here and stay away from the club.”
“I want what I deserve,” I seethe. “I want vengeance.”
He steps forward and leans down close. “I made you disappear once, Aviana, I’ll do it again. I will not let any harm come to this club.”
I grin, big and savage. “Try it.”