Cohen: King's Descendants MC #5

by Bella Jewel

  “I was given away when Manny and I were born,” Romeo begins, his voice silky smooth and incredibly calm. “A deal your father made with the woman who gave birth to us.”

  “Excuse me?” I shake my head. “My mother would have never given her babies up.”

  “Your mother isn’t my mother,” Romeo goes on. “He was having an affair. Your mother found out and to make the woman go away, that was the deal made. She took one of the babies, our father took the other. He paid her out, and they went on their way.”

  “You’re not making any sense,” I say frantically. “My mother would have never stayed around if she knew he was cheating on her. I don’t believe it. Is this some sort of trick so you can take me and take everything I’ve got? Is it?”

  I’m screaming now, my voice high pitched and frightened.

  Cohen’s hand goes to my shoulder where he squeezes and pulls me back a little, so I’m closer to him. “Calm down,” he murmurs into my ear. “Take a deep breath. We’ll get to the bottom of this.”

  “I’d like the chance to talk to you, Aviana. We can help each other out.”

  “How?” I whisper.

  “Because I have the power to finish what you’re all here for, and you have something I want.”

  “No,” Cohen barks. “You are not fuckin’ takin’ the only thing she has left. That money is fuckin’ hers.”

  Romeo looks to him, his face stern. “Back down, biker. This doesn’t concern you.”

  “It does fuckin’ concern me.”

  I shake my head, putting my hands out in front of me. “Can we do this somewhere else?”

  “Agreed,” Alarick mutters, never taking his eyes off Romeo.

  “Fine with me,” Romeo says calmly. “I have a lot to talk about.”

  “There is a quiet restaurant downtown, I saw it earlier,” Briella says. “Maybe we can go there? Get something to eat?”

  Romeo steps aside and extends his hand. “Lead the way.”

  What the hell is happening right now?

  I stare at my “brother” as I walk past, and when his eyes meet mine, I see something that I never saw in any other family members eyes—kindness. He smiles at me, but it’s not cold or cruel, it’s warm.

  Is he different?

  Or is this a trick?

  I don’t know what the hell is going on, but I do know one thing for sure ...

  Things just got very fucking complicated.

  “TELL ME EVERYTHING you know,” I say, stuffing a hot fry into my mouth.

  I barely taste it, even though it’s covered in salt. I’m mindlessly eating, sitting at a large table with my brother sitting across from me, watching me with a certain level of curiosity. One thing is for sure, I sobered up damned quickly. Cohen is sitting to my right, and Alarick is to my left. Everyone else is sort of scattered out across the table, all of them eating.

  “As I said earlier, a deal was made with my mother to separate Manny and myself. Your mother found out about the affair, and at first, I am told she didn’t want anything to do with it, but, as you know, our father was an incredibly powerful man. Somehow, he convinced her to take Manny, and raise him as her own. I was left with my mother, and she was paid a lot of money to disappear with me.”

  “I don’t understand, why wouldn’t he just keep both of you?”

  Romeo gives a bitter laugh. “My mother wasn’t going to just go away without her babies, that was the only way he could get what he wanted. He didn’t want a mistress hanging around, causing chaos for him. She accepted the deal because she had nothing else at the time. She was in love with a man who was using her, pregnant with twins, and she had no money. He had promised her things he simply wasn’t going to deliver on.”

  “So, she gave Manny up?” I whisper, horrified at how hard that must have been.

  “She knew how powerful our father was, she knew if she didn’t agree he would ... make her disappear in other ways.”

  Horrified, I stare at him. “He would have hurt her?”

  “Do you believe he wouldn’t have?”

  No.

  I don’t believe that.

  He treated my mother poorly, and he treated me poorly. He didn’t have respect for women, they were simply things he needed to make himself feel good or to make himself look better. It is very logical that he would have made Romeo’s mother disappear if it meant he looked good in the public eye.

  That poor woman, to hand over her child must have been the hardest thing in the world for her.

  “Did Manny ever know this?”

  Romeo shakes his head. “No, he did not.”

  “And your mother ... is she still around?”

  Romeo nods. “She is.”

  “Does she ... does she know about Manny?”

  His face tightens. “Yes.”

  “How ... how did you find me, and why?”

  Romeo leans forward, placing his hands together on the table and meeting my gaze. “It wasn’t hard to find you, Aviana. I have been searching for information on you for quite some time, I thought you were dead but then ...”

  “You learned I’m not.”

  “Yes.”

  “What is it you want? We both know it’s not to sit here and get to know me,” I snap.

  He tips his head to the side. “You’d be wrong about that. I do wish to get to know you. You were—you are—my sister. That’s not the only reason I’m here though, you’re right. I am here to offer you a deal.”

  “What kind of fuckin’ deal?” Cohen growls, glaring at Romeo.

  “You have people after you for the money and assets you’re sitting on. I happen to know who those people are and exactly where to find them. I can make them disappear, I can take that away completely so you’re safe.”

  “What’s in it for you?” I say, narrowing my eyes.

  “Our father’s business.”

  “Like fuck,” Cohen barks. “He’s just after you for fuckin’ money, we’re done here.”

  I reach over and take Cohen’s arm, squeezing it. “It’s okay.”

  “He’s fuckin’ using you, Aviana. He, like everyone else, is in it for fuckin’ cash.”

  “You’re wrong, biker,” Romeo growls. “And you’re really starting to get under my skin. Back off, this has nothing to do with you.”

  “Why would you want his business?” I ask, heart racing.

  “Because it’s a solid business with a lot of potential. I’m a powerful man, I also have plenty of my own money. That is the only legacy left behind, and I would like it to be mine.”

  “And that’s it?” I ask, glancing at my cold burger in front of me I haven’t touched. “That’s all you want.”

  “Yes, that’s all I want. We can have it done legally, I’m not here to take what isn’t mine.”

  “How do I know this isn’t ... this isn’t some sort of trick?”

  He shrugs, slightly. “You don’t, Aviana. You simply have to trust that I am not like the rest of your family, I was raised differently, and I am not a bad man. I’m a smart man.”

  “That business could be worth fuckin’ millions,” Alarick says, shooting daggers in Romeo’s direction.

  “Billions, actually,” Romeo corrects him.

  Billions?

  Holy shit.

  “And you want her to pass it all over to you?” Cohen shakes his head, horrified. “Fuckin’ no way.”

  “I want her to sign it over to me, yes. I will also offer her a certain percentage of the turnaround, yearly. Besides, the accounts and real-estate he’s sitting on will leave Aviana with millions of her own, not to mention a constant income from what she will get out of the business. It’s a win-win, it’ll set you up for life.”

  He’s looking at me again now.

  I can’t wrap my head around all of this.

  I don’t know if I trust him, I don’t know if what he’s saying is legit.

  What if this is a set up to take everything from me?

  But what if it’s not?
>
  What if this man, my brother, actually wants to do a good thing here?

  Does he want to be part of my life?

  Does he want to be ... family?

  “Can I think on this?” I ask, my voice low.

  “Yes, of course,” Romeo says.

  “What about those men after me, you can really make them go away?”

  Romeo smiles, and it’s terrifying. “Without a trace.”

  Jesus Christ.

  “How the fuck do you know so much about who is after her if you have nothin’ to do with it?” Cohen questions, his voice more than a little skeptical.

  “Because I was looking for her too, and in doing that, I stumbled across them. I told them who I was, I told them what I wanted, and I told them I’d help them find her. I never planned on doing that, I simply wanted to get close. They thought if they got hold of her, they would get her fortune. They agreed to sign the business over to me if I helped them.”

  “How the fuck do we know you’re not helping them then?” Alarick snarls.

  “Because if I wanted to do it that way, I would have taken Aviana and you never would have known about me. I’m here, because I want her in my life. She’s my family. It’s up to you if you choose to believe that.”

  Family.

  I’m his family.

  “I want to meet your mom,” I say, suddenly.

  Romeo jerks a little. “What?”

  “I want to meet her. I want you to take me there, right now. I want to hear it from her mouth. If you’re telling the truth, you’ll let me meet her and talk to her. If you’re not, then you’re not going to. What’s it going to be?”

  “You want to meet my mother?”

  He looks quite confused by this.

  “Yes. I do.”

  Romeo stands and extends his arm toward the door. “Very well then, let’s go.”

  God.

  I hope I’m making the right choice here.

  I’m terrified, but if anyone has the answers I need, it’s his mother.

  The only way I’ll get to the truth, is to go back to where it all began ...

  To the woman who fell in love with a monster and had her life turned upside down.

  Here goes nothing.

  16

  NOW – AVIANA

  Cohen, Alarick, and I are the only ones to follow Romeo back to the house where his mother is living. The chances of being in the same town, at the same time, is insane. I’m sure that’s exactly how he planned this, though. He wants to make sure his story can be backed up. The fear for me is, what if it can be backed up? What if the things he’s saying are true and I have to face the reality that I have a brother, a brother who actually wants to be part of my life?

  We arrive at a beautiful old home that has been well maintained. It’s dark out, but I can see the stunning gardens surrounding the small house. His mom clearly enjoys gardening. The porch light shines a dim glow over the patio, where I can see a beautiful restored swing chair and some nice timber furniture. This place, even before you walk into it, feels so much like a home should feel.

  My heart aches.

  Romeo walks up the front stairs and opens the front door, yelling out, “Momma?”

  A voice echoes through the house. The sweetest voice I’ve ever heard. “Romeo? Honey, is that you?”

  Honey.

  I can hear it even before I see it—this woman adores her son.

  A woman comes around the corner, her eyes lighting up when she sees her son. She stretches out her arms, throwing them up around his neck as she hugs him tightly. She’s only tiny, petite, and very beautiful for her age. Her dark hair is starting to grey, but it’s exceptionally beautiful, long and thick. Her skin is only slightly showing signs of aging, and she has the most incredible green eyes I’ve ever seen. She’s beautiful in a way very few are.

  She looks to all of us, and slowly releases Romeo.

  Her eyes fall on me and widen. She places a hand over her mouth and starts slowly moving toward me. “Well, as I live and breathe ... You look just like your momma.”

  A lump forms in my throat. I don’t have a great deal of memories about my momma, she died before I could create enough of them. I do know she was beautiful, and from what I recall, a beautiful soul with so much love to give. She adored her children, and she would have done anything for us. I never would have guessed that Manny didn’t belong to her, because she loved him in a way that was unconditional.

  I step forward as Romeo’s mom reaches me, and when her hands comes out and touches my cheek, the urge to cry and hug her is incredibly intense. She releases me and looks to Romeo. “You found her.”

  “Yeah, Momma, I found her. I told her everything. She’s having a hard time with it all and wanted to come and talk to you.”

  She looks back to me. “This must be very confusing for you. Come in, sit down. Let me get you a drink. Who are your friends?”

  “This is Cohen and Alarick,” I say, my voice choking up.

  “Strapping gentleman they are, come in.”

  She’s beautiful.

  So damned beautiful.

  The presence of two large bikers does not bother her in the slightest. She invites them into her home as if she’s known them a lifetime.

  “Romeo, show them to the living room, and I will fetch some tea.”

  I glance at Cohen and his expression, which was hard as a rock the entire way here, has softened a little.

  Maybe, just maybe, he’s seeing what I’m seeing.

  This might be real after all.

  I walk into the living area and over to the mantel where a heap of photos are set in frames. I let my eyes rake over them, feeling a smile pull at the corners of my mouth. Romeo, gosh, he’s identical to Manny. Looking at the pictures, I’d swear it was him. It makes my heart ache for my brother, who is gone. Not because we were close, but because I see now he could have had such a different life. A life not influenced by my father, a life that would have taught him the kind of love he simply didn’t know.

  Every photo is of Romeo and his mom.

  You can see exactly how close the two of them are.

  I turn and see Romeo standing behind me, his eyes on the photos, too.

  “It’s like looking at Manny, it’s quite overwhelming,” I admit.

  “What was he like? My brother?” Romeo asks, his eyes moving to mine now.

  “He was ... He was a child raised by a man who taught him all the wrong things in life. He was strong, though. Really strong. And he was smart as hell.”

  Romeo opens his mouth to say something, but his momma comes in with a tray full of cups, tea, sugar, and cream. She places it down on the coffee table and ushers me to the chair. “Sit, let us talk.”

  I go over and sit down beside Cohen, preparing myself a cup of tea.

  “What is your name?” I ask her, now just realizing that nobody has told me her name.

  “My name is Marcella.”

  Marcella. Beautiful.

  “It’s wonderful to meet you, Marcella. I’m Aviana.”

  She smiles. “I know who you are, my darling.”

  I give her a small smile and sip my tea.

  “I’m sure you’ve got many questions, feel free to ask when you are ready,” she tells me, making herself a cup of tea and sitting back in the chair.

  “You ... you had a relationship with my father. Can you tell me about that, please?”

  Marcella’s face flashes with pain, and I know the memories would be hard for her. I can’t imagine what it must have been like back then.

  “I met him at the café I was waitressing at. I spilled coffee all over him, it was my first day. I was certain he would make a scene, but instead he laughed. Right there, he just burst out with this loud laughter.”

  My father laughed?

  That’s so hard for me to wrap my head around.

  “I offered to dry clean his suit for him, so I took him back to my apartment and gave him some of my brother’s clothes s
o I could take his suit. That’s how it all started. I didn’t ... I didn’t know he was married at first. He took me out, we formed a relationship, and then I found out he was already in one.”

  “That must have been hard,” I say, my voice tight.

  “It was awful, but I was young and naïve. I was in love with him. I thought he was going to give me this incredible life. He told me he’d leave his wife, that we’d be together, and I believed him. I was only nineteen years old. When I fell pregnant, everything changed. He no longer wanted a relationship with me, and this man, this prince ... turned into a monster. He was cold and calculated. He didn’t want me ruining anything in his perfect little world, and that’s when I realized he was never going to leave his wife. I was just a bit of fun for him ...”

  God.

  My heart aches for this woman.

  I can hear the pain in her voice as she tells her story.

  “I wasn’t going to give up my baby, I told him so. Then I found out I was having twins. Terrified, I knew I couldn’t care for both of them. I was struggling as it was, and without any support from him, I was not going to be able to give them a good life. I told him I wanted money, help, or I would tell people about our affair. It wasn’t the smartest thing I’ve ever said, but, again, I was young, and I was scared.”

  I can only imagine.

  “He told me to get an abortion, to get rid of them and the problem would be solved. I refused to do that, and one day, I went and confronted your mother about our affair. I told her everything. The worst part for me was, she was the kindest, most gentle soul I’d ever met, and I knew that she was as trapped as I was. Of course, she was devastated. Days later, your father came to me with a deal. He would take one of the babies and raise him with his family, I would take the other and he would give me some money, but I was never to contact him again.”

  God, this just gets worse.

  “At first, I refused. No way was I giving up my baby, but as time went on, I began to struggle. I had some health concerns, and I had no money. I couldn’t raise two babies—I would barely afford one. I told him I would take the deal. Your momma wasn’t too keen on the idea at first, she didn’t want to raise my baby, but I went to see her one day, and I told her that I needed her to do it, for me.”