Cade mc sinners 5, p.1
Cade: MC Sinners #5, page 1
CADE
MC SINNERS #5
Also by Bella Jewel
Jokers' Wrath MC
Bestie
MC Sinners
Cade (Coming Soon)
Rumblin' Knights
Knights Rising
Knights Fury
Knights Lady
Knights Burden
Standalone
Amore - Boxed Set
Wild Child
Table of Contents
Title Page
Also By Bella Jewel
DEDICATION
~*CADE*~
CADE | Copyright © 2024 Bella Jewel
~*ACKNOWLEDGMENTS*~
PROLOGUE | Cade – Then
1 | Addison
2 | Cade
3 | Addison
4 | Cade – Then
5 | Addison
6 | Cade – Then
7 | Addison
8 | Cade
9 | Addison
10 | Addison
11 | Cade
12 | Addison
13 | Addison
14 | Cade
15 | Addison
16 | Addison
17 | Cade
18 | Addison
19 | Addison
20 | Addison
21 | Cade
22 | Addison
23 | Addison
24 | Cade
25 | Addison
26 | Cade
Addison
THE END
Also By Bella Jewel
DEDICATION
To Craig,
Gone, but never forgotten.
Thank you for giving me years old love. We might not have been together anymore, but you were my friend, always.
Our girls will forever miss you.
This book is for you.
I hope you ride free in heaven.
TRIGGER WARNINGS
Mentions of childhood trauma and abuse
~*CADE*~
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.
CADE
Copyright © 2024 Bella Jewel
CADE 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 massive thanks to the team at Valentine PR for taking me on, especially to Kim and Nina for helping me with this release and all of my releases in the past. I am looking forward to working with you all on this book and future books, and I’m incredibly grateful for the hard work you all do.
A massive thanks to Ben Ellis from Pilcrow Design 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
Cade – Then
“I didn’t do it,” Clara cries, pressing her hands over her chest as she looks at me with those manipulative eyes.
Those eyes then swing to my father and flutter with an innocence that is so far from the truth. Clara is anything but innocent. She can play this family better than even the best and most dangerous men. She has a streak of evil that is going to get her in trouble one day. It doesn’t stop me from being there when she needs me, though. That’s the problem when you’re raised the way I am—you protect your own.
Every now and then, I see the light inside her soul, and it’s what keeps me going strong. When she cries herself to sleep after my father has beaten her, I can’t help but want to protect her. The urge is strong, it’s in my bones, and after we lost our mother, I knew I had to step up. That doesn’t mean I trust her, because she would throw me in front of a bus to save her own life.
That’s the kind of person she is.
Still, she’s my sister, and I have a duty of care toward her.
My father, with his dull green eyes and heavy beer belly, takes a step toward my sister. The alcohol on his breath wafts past, stinging my nose. He’s drunk, and when he’s drunk, he’s abusive. Something I really don’t feel like dealing with right now. “This screams of you, Clara,” he drawls, his voice low and slightly slurred. “How fuckin’ stupid do you think I am?”
“It was Cade.” She shakes her head, putting her hands up. “He was the one who gave it to me.”
Another lie.
Turning the blame onto me means I can take the wrath and she doesn’t have to. It’s my fault, really. I protected her. Every waking moment of our childhood, I would take the blame for everything, because I didn’t want to see her hurt. Now, it has become the new normal, something she no longer feels any guilt about.
Maybe it’s because I can fight back now, or maybe she likes it.
It’s hard to tell.
My sister is on the verge of being a sociopath, I’m almost sure of it.
“That true, boy?”
Turning his piercing glare to me, he twists his big body and takes a step forward, getting in my face. At sixteen, I’m not as big as him, but what I don’t make up for in size, I do in strength. My father is weak, the alcohol and drugs long dragging any power from his body and burying it. He’s big, but he’s weak. That doesn’t mean he can’t make it hurt, though.
We both know he can.
“Doesn’t matter what I say,” I mutter. “You’ll believe her anyway, so get it over with.”
He bares his teeth with rage and curls a hand around my throat, shoving me back until I slam into the kitchen counter. His hot breath makes my stomach turn as he leans in, baring his rotting teeth. “You dare aggravate me, boy?”
“I said,” I grind out, leaning in closer and never breaking eye contact, “get it over with.”
His fist connects with my jaw, sending my head to the side. I don’t make a sound, even though, for a second, my vision blurs. I won’t give him the satisfaction of knowing he has any power over me. Slowly, head pounding, I meet his gaze again. “That all you got?”
Another punch, this one harder, splitting my lip. Blood fills my mouth and trickles down my chin as I spit it onto his face, the red splatters coating his pale grey skin. His eyes widen with shock and rage, and then he reaches beside him for a knife. Then, and only then, does Clara stop him with a pained yell. “Don’t, Daddy, don’t hurt him.”
Hand trembling, my father holds the knife, his body rising and falling with every ragged pant as he fights the urge to plunge that blade into my flesh. I don’t flinch, don’t move, don’t show a single ounce of fear.
“Daddy,” Clara cries again. “Leave him alone.”
Anything for his little angel, he releases me, but not before he hisses out a warning. “She won’t be around to protect you forever, and one day, boy, you’ll open your mouth for the last time.”
Swiping my hand across the back of my mouth, I smirk. “I can’t wait.”
With that, I glance at my sister once more.
Gone is the fear on her face, and back is the blank stare she holds so well. She’ll be the death of me one day, I’m sure of it. She knows I’ll take care of her, but one day, even I’m going to get tired of her games. One day, I’m going to throw her out into this world on her own and she’ll find out very quickly just how far her manipulation won’t get her.
But by then, it will no longer be my problem.
By then, I’ll be free.
1
Addison
“Well, I’ll be damned. Addison. That’s a face I never thought I’d see again.”
Offering a smile, I stare at the one person I trusted growing up in this hell hole. Officer Charlie Kerry. He came to my rescue so many times, and when my mother died, he was the one I called. I never got to say goodbye to him, because the moment the phone call ended, I ran, and I have never looked back.
Back then, Charlie was young, maybe early twenties and was just startin g out his career. Now, he has grown more mature, and no longer looks like a young man, but instead, a strong, rugged, masculine one. His once short dark hair is now longer, sitting messily atop his head. His eyes are the same piercing blue, and now he has a beard that gives him an edge he never had before.
He's incredibly attractive, and by adding the fact that he is a police officer to the mix, I’m certain he has no problem when it comes to the ladies.
Once, what seems like forever ago, he was the only person in the world I could trust. He helped me out more times than I can count, when my mother would overdose or someone dangerous would come to my house. He was my saving grace, and a pang of guilt grips my chest knowing I never made contact again with him after I left. I owed him, at the very least, a goodbye.
Maybe a thank you.
“You’re all grown up now, Charlie,” I say, stepping toward him.
He wraps me in a familiar hug, only now he’s bigger, bulkier and stronger. His arms settle around me, and I rest my head on his chest, breathing him in. I don’t know where I’d be without him, and I’m certain I never would have gotten out of this town if it weren’t for the way he believed in me.
Stepping back, he looks down at me. “You look good, kid. Grown up. Strong.”
Calling me kid is wildly hilarious, considering he can’t be any more than ten or so years older than me. Still, in his eyes, I guess I’ll always be the girl he took care of when nobody else did.
“I’ve changed,” I say, smiling. “I have a daughter now.”
His brows shoot up. “No way?”
Pulling out my phone, I show him a picture of Skye. He stares down, then looks at me with pride and happiness in his expression. “Well, I’ll be damned. She’s perfect, kid. Do I dare ask what kind of man you are with? Do I need to come down there?”
Laughing, I tuck my phone away. “Well, you probably wouldn’t like him, but I promise he’s good to me.”
Narrowing his eyes, Charlie crosses his arms. “Go on.”
“He’s a ... uh ... biker.”
Charlie’s brows shoot up. “Tell me you’re joking?”
“I promise you he’s protected me in ways I can’t explain. He’s a good man.”
Even if we’re not talking right now.
Charlie purses his lips, but he doesn’t argue further. I know how cops feel about bikers, so there is probably very little I can do to change his mind on the matter. I’m best just letting it go.
“So that’s where you went when you left town without even saying goodbye?”
I hold his gaze, and something unspoken rushes between us.
I know that he knows I could have saved my mother but I chose not to. He must know. Yet he made sure it never came back to haunt me.
“You know I had to leave,” I whisper. “After what happened ...”
“Your mother died of an overdose; it wasn’t on you.”
There is something in his expression that tells me he knows, and he has chosen to let the world think there was nothing that could be done to save her. Deep down, we both know I could have called for help. I didn’t. I no longer carry the guilt of that, but I don’t think I’ll ever completely forgive myself.
I offer Charlie a smile that is so eternally grateful.
He gives it back.
“Tell me what you’re doing here, kid,” he says, pulling out a cigarette as we move off the sidewalk so a couple can walk by.
“That’ll kill you, you know.”
He grins. “Something’s gotta. Now, stop avoiding. You came back for a reason. What is it?”
Biting my lip, I contemplate if I’m making the right choice here. Cade is refusing to tell me a single thing about his sister, not even her name, but I have to know. I just have to know what went down, and if she’s okay. What if she’s out there somewhere, being held prisoner, and there isn’t a single person in the world fighting for her?
I know how that feels, and I won’t rest until I get to the bottom of this.
“The guy I’m with has a sister who got caught up in some things a while ago and he hasn’t heard from her since. I’m wanting to see if I can find her.”
Charlie narrows his eyes. “What kind of things did she get caught up in?”
I give him a weary smile. “Ah, well, bad things.”
“Addison ...”
I exhale. “Look, I know that the club does things that are illegal, I’m not stupid, but I just need your help with a name, maybe a location. Please, you’re the only one I can turn to.”
He inhales the cigarette, staring at me for a long moment. “I’ll help you, but if I find anything that could lead to danger, I won’t help anymore. Promise me you won’t get hurt if we go down this road.”
“I just want to know she’s okay.”
“And if she’s not—” he exhales “—then what?”
“Then that’s Cade’s problem.”
Charlie’s brows go up. “That his name? Cade?”
I nod.
“Stupid name.”
I laugh, stepping forward and hugging him again. “I missed you, Charlie.”
“Yeah, missed you too, kid.”
I never thought I’d be able to come back here and not feel some kind of pain, but I guess I’ve healed a little more than I realized. Falling in love and having a child will do that to you. I’m grateful for the club and everything they’ve taught me. I might be pissed that Cade kept this from me, but that doesn’t mean he isn’t the very reason I get out of bed each day.
Still, I’ll make him work for my forgiveness. The sex is way too good not to.
Charlie crushes out his cigarette. “Are you going to check out your old place while you’re here?”
My smile fades.
Now that is something I’m not sure I can handle.
Do I dare go back and see the place that shaped who I am?
Or do I leave it in the past where it belongs?
MEMORIES FLOOD MY MIND as I stare up at the home that caused so much trauma in my life. It’s still the same run-down, overgrown, horrible place, and by the looks of it, nothing has changed. The people walking these streets are just as damaged and broken as they were when I lived here. Women with sunken eyes, dazed stares, and breaking teeth. Men with gaunt faces, skin and bones, raging personalities.
It's the very meaning of toxic.
“Addison?”
The familiar voice has a pang of remembrance running up my spine as I slowly turn to face the one person I thought would save me from this world. Billy. I could say it’s my lucky day, running into all these people, but the resentment I hold for him is still swirling around in my stomach like a violent tornado. He promised me freedom, then he took off and never looked back.
Now here he is, standing on the sidewalk, looking exactly the same as he did all those years ago with his dark blue eyes, his wild blond hair, and crooked smile. His weak persona radiates off him, and it’s something I can see so very clearly now. It’s as if I never noticed it before, but now, it’s the only thing I notice. I was so certain he would be my knight in shining armor, but it turns out he simply didn’t have it in him.
“Billy,” I say, my voice low and somewhat unimpressed. “A face I never thought I’d see again.”
He takes a step forward, his eyes wide, as if he wants to stretch his hand out. He refrains, letting his arms dangle by his sides as he takes me in, eyes roaming my body, every inch of it.
“You ... you look different.”
“I got the hell out of here, got strong, no thanks to you.”
His face falls. “I have hoped every single day since I left that I’d get the chance to see you again, to tell you how sorry I am. Now you’re here, the words simply aren’t forming.”
“Let me make it easy for you, I forgive you. There, does that help?”
My sarcasm is strong, but it’s the only thing that covers my hurt.
His eyes soften, just a touch. “What I did to you was wrong on so many levels. I was young, but more than that, I didn’t understand. Your world scared me, and I didn’t know how to handle it.”
