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Chapter Twenty-Six-Jaden
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2024-10-29 19:42:56My heart is in my chest as we climb the stairs to my brother's apartment building. Cade is behind me, making snide comments under his breath about my jeans, but I'm too nervous to blush at them. We stop, and I turn to look at him.
He grins. "Calm down, Jaden. It'll be fine. Your brother is out with some girl and Will always stays in the night before a baseball game. I'll go into my room and start packing. Just do what we practiced."
I'm two seconds from throwing up. I feel it crawling up, and I'm not sure I can choke it down much longer. "I don't know how to do this, Cade."
He gives me a yeah right look. "Do what? Flirt?"
"Uh, yeah," I say. "Look how awkward I am. I didn't have too many gentlemen callers in high school, and I'm just not … sexy. I'm not that girl."
Cade chuckles, sliding an inked arm around my waist, he pulls me toward him. "I beg to differ. You're sexy, because you're not trying. Will was trying to get with y
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Jaden looks lost as she stares off into space. I can't imagine the images, the memories or thoughts that cloud her mind. I've been down before, lost, but never enough to want to kill myself. I move my fingertips against the slither of skin between her t-shirt and jeans. She doesn't seem to notice. Her mouth opens to speak but nothing comes out. I want to tell her she doesn't have to say anything, but I want to know so bad. How bad did Justin and Selena hurt her? What all happened? The scars are still visible on her wrist, the vertical marks tell me she really wanted to end it. They don't look superficial. She rolls over on her side and faces me. Her soft features look cloudy and distant. "You know what happened between Justin and I. How he treated me, and then the pictures circulating. I told you about overhearing Selena in the bathroom?" I nod. She frowns. "It only got worse from there. It took Selena minutes to find out who I was, and the ve
My Brother's Best Friend Chapter Thirty-Eight Jaden
Dad doesn't call, but I know they've been busted because it's on the school's newspaper the next morning. Seeing my brother's face, bruised and sunken in makes my chest hurt. This isn't the Adam I know. I close the receipt book as soon as the clock turns five. I'm glad to be finished for the day, and even more excited to go home to an apartment that isn't Adam's. Cade doesn't look at the clock, never does, so I sashay over to the garage and knock my knuckles over the metal door. "Hey handsome, it's time to clock out!" I shout. Johnny sticks his head up from underneath the hood of a Mazda and smiles. "Alright, Sweetheart, I'm coming." Cade walks around and nonchalantly hits him in the back of the head with his sack of dirty rags for the day. "My bad," he says with a smile. He looks worse than the day before since his fight with Will and Adam. I'm thankful the random neighbor broke it up, because I knew I couldn't. But his garage uniform looks g
My Brother's Best Friend Chapter Twenty-Nine-Cade
I trace my finger over the small tattoo on Jaden's hand. It looks beautiful against her skin, and even though it's red around the edges and beginning to peel, I love it. She hasn't stopped looking at it since we pulled the bandage off thirty minutes ago. "You like it?" I ask her. "I love it," she says, rolling over to her stomach on the bed. I smile back at her, but it doesn't meet my eyes. I haven't been able to stop thinking about what Lonnie told me. She knows the man that jumped me, and I'm eager to go repay the favor. But I know I'd walk into a lion's den if I did, especially in my current position. I don't have my wingman anymore anyway. Adam is walking a thin line with drugs, and I don't want to get involved in it. My entire life revolved around drugs, and since my mother is gone, I don't want anymore to do with it. "You're thinking about what Lonnie told you?" "Yeah," I say rubbing my good hand down my face. "I want to go fin
My Brother's Best Friend Chapter Thirty- Jade
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My Brother's Best Friend Chapter Thirty-One-Cade
I'm beyond pissed when I pull into our apartment's parking lot and Jaden is sitting on the steps. She looks scared, her face ashen and her hands shaking. To think they would rally around my girlfriend and scare her? For what? I hated that they brought her into this at all. I barrel out of the truck and toward her. "Are you okay?" "I'm fine," she whispers, rubbing her elbow with her palm. "I—it just scared me, that's all." I glance around to make sure no one is watching us before walking into our apartment and locking the door. I run my palm over her hair and kiss her forehead. "They just rolled in and swarmed you?" I ask. She nods, her eyes make contact with her shoes. Something is wrong, besides the ambush. "What's the matter? What happened today?" Jaden turns to walk into the bathroom, but I stop her. "Tell me. What is it?" When she finally turns to face me, I see tears running down her cheeks. "Someone sent the pictures around the s
My Brother's Best Friend Chapter Thirty-Two-Jaden
I check the number at least three times as Cade drives us away from the restaurant. I can't piece anything together because tears are threatening my eyes, and my throat feels like it's going to close up. Why would Adam do this to me? What have I ever done to him? The theories on why race around in my mind, and block out everything else, so much that I don't even realize when we're at Adam's apartment. Cade instantly gets out, and I snap back to reality. I beat him to the stairs and stop him from going up. "You've been in too many fights, Cade, plus, you're crippled right now. We can't just walk in with gun's blazing." "The hell we can't," he spits. "Your brother has been threatening you and sending out nude pictures? What kind of sick crap is that? I can't let him get away with that." "You don't even know if he's here. He was just arrested, I'm sure my dad has him on a short leash right now." Cade gri
My Brother's Best Friend Chapter Thirty-Three-Cade
If finding out that Adam was the person sending the pictures around wasn't enough, I get Jaden's text and time stops. Johnny manages a bar downtown? I can't image why he'd need to work at Dan's if he owned a bar, and better yet, why hasn't he ever mentioned it? I gnaw on my lip, debating on what to do next. Should I ask Dan about him? He would tell me wouldn’t he? I jet out of the apartment and head toward Dan's house. I've only been there a few times, but I know he'll be there, because the only socializing he does is bowling on the weekends. Dan's sitting on his porch when I pull up, a beer in one hand and the other rested over his stomach. "Well, what a surprise," he says. "Grab a beer." He points toward the cooler beside him. Snagging one, I sit down in the other rocking chair and gather my thoughts. He senses something is up, I can see it on his face, but doesn't ask. After a few long minutes, I ask, "What do you know about Johnny?"
My Brother's Best Friend Chapter Thirty-Four-Jaden
Pins and needles dance along my spine when Johnny walks into the garage on Monday. I'm the worst at lying and hiding my feelings, but I try my best. Johnny knocks his knuckles against my desk, as he always does, and smiles. "Hey Girlie. How was your weekend?" I bite my bottom lip. "Good. Good. How about you? What did you do this weekend?" I pry, but he doesn't bite. He shrugs. "Watched some football and hung out." Yeah, at his secret restaurant. I smile, but it doesn't reach my eyes. "Where is Cade?" he asks, buttoning his uniform. "In the back," I say, turning on the computer. "He's all better, finally got his cast off." Johnny nods, still working his buttons. Pursing my lips, I continue to scroll over appointments, and say, "I wish they would have found the thugs that did that to him. Scumbags." Johnny finishes his shirt, and gives me a smile. "Yeah, he didn't deserve that." I watch him walk toward the back, not giving me a second thought, which is bittersweet. I don't want
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Jaden hops down from the cabinet and scoops her finger into the cake icing and licks it. I'm immeditely ready to bend her over the sink and have my way with her. She screams when I pick her up and carry her toward our bedroom. But I stop when someone knocks on the front door. "Someone is looking out for you," I mumble. She giggles and waits for me to answer the door. Adam is standing on the other side. He looks good, like a different person from the last time I saw him. It's only been a few months, but it feels like years. "Hey. Can I come in?" he asks. I open the door wider and let him inside. Jaden comes running out a few minutes later, and stops cold. Her gaze moves from his to mine. I can't read her face. "Jaden," Adam says. "I wanted to come over and talk to you about ... everything." She plays with a string on the end of her cutoff jean shorts. "Okay, yeah." Adam sits down on the edg
My Brother's Best Friend Chapter Forty-Two--Jaden
Cade has been asleep for over ten hours. He's beaten down and tired. His knuckles are bloody and he looks like a corpse. I had no idea of Cade's plans to catch Dan. But I was glad he came out alive, and it was over. Although, by the look on his face the night before, I wasn't sure it was over. He looked haunted. The tears on his face surprised me. What all had he kept inside of himself for all these years? I cook us breakfast, and bring it to him in bed the next morning. He stirs for a moment before sitting up and rubbing the palm of his hand against his eyes. His dark gaze meets mine and I swallow my anxiety. "Good morning," I say. "I made us breakfast." "Do you need a ride to school?" "I wrote my teachers and told them I was sick. I'll be out this week." He scoots up and brings the tray onto his lap. "You don't have to watch me like I'm a kid, Jaden. I'll be fine." I shrug. "I want to be here w
My Brother's Best Friend Chapter Forty-One--Cade
Johnny shuts his office door and gestures for me to take a seat. It's been one hell of a week to say the least. After everything Jaden dropped on me the day before, I couldn't drag her into this anymore. She's been through enough, so I decided to drop her off at school and talk to Johnny alone. He sits down across from me. "It was a good idea to leave Jaden behind. She's a great girl, but I would hate myself if something happened to her." "Me too. I'm already beating myself up because she was kidnapped by my own dad. She's been through a lot ... and she doesn't need anything else on her." Johnny leans forward. "Are you sure you want to do this, Cade? Dan is going to be cornered and I don't know how he will respond." I run my palm down my face and then pick at a random string on my jeans. "I'm sure. I need to find out why he is doing this." "I had to pull some major strings to get you approved to do this. You're really okay
My Brother's Best Friend Chapter-Forty--Jaden
I don't want to do this, but Cade is on a mission, and I'm beginning to think it's a suicidal one. I've never seen someone so determined to find a person that could kill them. Johnny follows behind us in an undercover SUV, while I'm led blindly into the lion's den. Cade's fingers tighten around the steering wheel, and I trace his tattoos with my gaze. How I would love to just have some alone time with him, without all our problems looming over us. "What are you going to do when we get there, Cade?" I ask, trying to keep my irritation out of my voice. I don't want to be mad at him, because I know it's important, but I want to be finished with this. Cade glances over at me. "I'm going to walk in, ask for Henry, and make him tell me." "Okay," I say. "What about after that? Are you going to chase down some criminal?" He reaches over and runs his fingers against my thigh. "What's the matter, Jaden?" I hold back my emotions and my b
My Brother's Best Friend Chapter Thirty-Nine--Cade
I press my mouth against Jaden's forehead, and close my eyes. And to think, I thought she had drama when we first got together. This has taken us both down a rabbit hole that is slowly sucking the life out of me. I want this to be finished, but it can't until I take down Dan. To think I've been working for my uncle this entire time, and for him to wear a mask every day, and me not ever see him slip? It feels unreal to me. Jaden shoves against my chest with her palms, and looks at me. The crap I've put this girl through makes my stomach sick. My own dad took her for ransom, which tells me that Dan and Dad are into more than just pimping out women, they sell drugs. And I know who I need to talk to—Adam. That's if I can get to him. Someone bangs on the door thirty minutes after we get home. Jaden gets up, and gives me a look over her shoulder when she looks through the peep hole. "It's my dad." I gesture for her to open the door.
My Brother's Best Friend Chapter Thirty-Eight--Jaden
The warehouse is set back from the main road, hidden underneath shrubbery and years of overgrowth. The wind rattles the doors against the side of the building, and it sends chills up my spine. The windows are far gone with ripped plastic swaying from where someone tried to patch them up. It looks like an abandoned packaging plant with rusted equipment and aged boxes littering the concrete floor. Damien forces me into the threshold and ushers me toward a chilled metal chair. I sit down, watching as he makes himself comfortable on top of a conveyor belt, and takes out his cell phone. After several silent minutes, he glances up at me. "I’m calling your Dad. I'll ask for my money, and you'll confirm I have you with me, and if you try anything, I'll not only kill you, but I'll knock off that goofy brother of yours. He should be here, not you, but that's not how it happened." Speaking of brothers. I wanted to choke Adam. He caused all of this. Doing drugs? Going in
My Brother's Best Friend Chapter Thirty-Seven-Cade
I've never felt fear like this. My body feels numb, I don't know what to think—what to do—and my head is spinning. When Johnny rolls up with three other officers, I don't feel relieved, because we have nothing to go on. I've texted her twice, and I do it again when Johnny pulls up. He eyes my cell phone. "Are you texting her?" I nod. He takes my phone and curses while he scrolls through them. "Don't text her again. Whoever has her can intercept the messages, Cade. Now they know we're onto them." I'm so stupid. But I'm not thinking clearly. My Jaden is in trouble. I hate myself for getting her into this mess. Angry tears threaten my eyes, and I turn and hit the side of the building until I see blood smeared against the siding. Johnny grabs my shoulders and turns me around. "Calm down. We traced the signal of her cell phone to the garage, but it went dead. I'm sure they left it. That means whoever it is knows thei
My Brother's Best Friend Chapter Thirty-Six-Jaden
The sound of crickets wake me. It's too loud for it to be from outside, and it shakes me to the bone. A door or window must be open, and I can't imagine why Cade would do that in the middle of the night. I reach over to feel for him, but he isn't there. I swallow my insecurities and sit up on my elbows, giving my eyes time to adjust to the room. Nothing stands out at first, and I feel myself relax. I slide my feet from the covers, and tiptoe toward the light. I flip the switch and walk to the kitchen. "Cade?" I say. No one answers. I swallow my nerves, and walk back to the bedroom to check in the bathroom. He isn't in there either. I walk back into our room, searching for my phone in the covers, and catch a glimpse of movement in the mirror beside our bed. A sound I've never made releases from me, and I turn around in time for something to cover my face. Survival kicks in, and I swing my arms wildly, kicking and screaming, but my voice is muffled.
My Brother's Best Friend Chapter Thirty-Five-Cade
I trace Jaden's perfect form from underneath the thin sheet in our bed. I haven't been able to close my eyes since we crawled under the covers an hour ago. My mind races with scenarios. Is Dan really behind this? Johnny? I don't want to believe he could do something like this. Why? What does he get out of it? He lives in an average house with an average truck. I can't image it being money, unless he stashes it away for a rainy day. I groan, throw the covers off me, and walk to the kitchen. The clock reads eleven pm, and I listen as I sip my water at the thin hand counting down the seconds. The idea of going back to bed fades from my grasp, and I find myself getting dressed and putting on a pair of boots. I leave Jaden asleep in the bed where she needs to be. I feel safe knowing she doesn't have a way to leave the house in case she does wake up, which she probably won't, since she sleeps like the dead. I drive toward Dan's house, drummin
