Rook POVI press my boot harder against his thigh, pinning him to the chair, keeping him in place. “It amazes me, really,” I muse, dragging the tip of the knife along his arm, barely any pressure, but enough to send another shudder through his body. “You were brutal on the ice, weren’t you? Hard, merciless, fucking relentless.”I dig the blade in suddenly, just below his wrist, watching as the skin splits open, a fresh trail of red weaving down his arm.“But off the ice?” I tap the hilt of the knife against his forehead again, mockingly. “Your body is weaker than most.”Axel exhales sharply, his entire frame shaking.“Oh, look,” I murmur, watching as the blood drips, slow and steady onto the floor. “You do bleed. Just like the last guy I killed.”His throat bobs violently, his breath catching, and I see it—that flicker of horror, the realization setting in.I grin wider, leaning in, my voice dropping low. “You’re going to beg me for death, Axel,” I whisper, letting the knife hover jus
Rook POV **Contains Murder**A full, sharp laugh that echoes through the warehouse, bouncing off the walls, filling the space like it belongs there.Behind me, my father sighs, already done with my shit. “Rook, don’t fool around,” he mutters, arms crossed. “Just finish this.”But I’m already shaking my head, already grinning as I step forward, pressing the knife against Axel’s cheek again, just enough for him to feel the weight of it.“I’m bored of playing alone,” I say, voice low, sharp with mockery.Axel still thinks he can take me? After all this?Fine, let’s play.I cut the rope from around his ankles. Then, I step behind him, cutting through the ropes, letting his arms drop limply to his sides. He doesn’t move right away, his body still stiff from being restrained for so long. But he will.I grab his wrist and press the handle of the knife into his palm.“Go on,” I murmur, stepping back, stretching my arms lazily. “Let’s see what you’ve got.”Axel doesn’t move. His fingers twitch
Kade POVA hand wraps around my waist, dragging me from unconsciousness, and before I even register what’s happening, my body reacts on instinct. My fist slams forward, hard and fast, followed by my knee thrusting upward in a sharp, brutal motion.My eyes snap open just in time to see Rook dodge at the last second.“The fuck is wrong with you?” he snaps, staring at me like I’ve personally offended him. “Do you also kill people in your fucking sleep?”I groan, shoving him away, maybe too hard, because he topples off the bed with a loud thud. Good. I don’t give a shit.“I was sleeping,” I growl, glaring down at him. “Don’t fucking touch me when I’m sleeping.”Something shifts in his expression, and fuck, I realize I just gave him exactly what he wanted—another thing to push, poke, and test. “I swear down, Rook,” I warn, narrowing my eyes. “I will sleep with a fucking knife in my hand. You touch me, and you die.”He chuckles, the sound low and amused as he climbs back onto the bed, compl
Kade POVI thrash immediately, trying to shove him off, but Rook is a fucking tank. He’s got the weight advantage, the strength, and worst of all, the audacity. My body still hasn't fully recovered which makes it harder otherwise it would be an even fight.“Get the fuck off me!” I growl, pushing against his chest, but he barely budges.“Nah,” he replies, smug as ever. “I think I like it here.”I grunt, twisting, but he just shifts his weight to keep me pinned, arms braced on either side of me, practically caging me in.“This is abuse,” I hiss.He grins. “Oh? What are you gonna do, Mercer? Call the authorities?”I glare. “I will."He leans in, voice mocking. “What’s the emergency? Oh yeah, some guy won’t get out of his own bed.”“Rook,” I warn.“Help,” he gasps dramatically, “he’s keeping me here against my will!"I snap and shove him hard, managing to roll us over, but he just laughs, the absolute bastard.“You think you’ve won?” he taunts, letting me sit up for half a second before h
Kade POVHe’s not consistent, he’s not safe, he’s a goddamn wrecking ball. At best, a bulldozer tearing through lives without a second thought. I’ve heard the stories—how deep he gets into people, how he worms his way in so far that by the time they realize what’s happening, it’s already too late. He ruins them. Leaves them craving him, desperate for even the smallest scrap of his attention.When he finally gets it, then? He refuses. I just realized it. I’m his next fucking victim.All the games, all the taunting, the constant energy, the push-and-pull bullshit, it’s exactly what he does to all of them. I don’t know the details, but I can guess this is the same exhausting, overwhelming, over-the-top bullshit he uses to reel them in.He’s not as bad as Axel. At least Rook has some limitations. Axel would fuck anything that moved. Rook? He at least picks his targets, And somehow, I just became his latest fucking mission.Rook shifts beside me, his attention locked onto my face, and I do
Rook POVMercer doesn’t move and I can see the thoughts running behind his eyes, the way his jaw tightens just slightly, the way his chest rises and falls unevenly. He’s processing.Processing the fact that I let Axel fight me, that I still won and that I tortured Axel before all of that.I should be focused on his reaction, but instead, all I can focus on is how fucking close he is to me right now. The space between us is gone. I can see the tension in his body, see the way he’s still lingering, hovering, not pulling away.That's interesting. I grin, tilting my head slightly, watching him. “You look surprised, Mercer.”His eyes flick up to mine, and I can see it, the battle raging inside his stupid, stubborn brain. He doesn’t want to care, but he does. Doesn’t want to acknowledge it, but he’s standing here, close enough to feel my breath, looking at me like I just did something unexpected.I did, didn’t I? He expected Axel to be dead. Expected me to kill him outright, not play with h
Rook POVI grin against his skin, laughing breathlessly. “Took you long enough,” I mutter, teeth scraping against his pulse, feeling the way it pounds against my tongue.“Shut the fuck up, Rook,” he hisses through his teeth, but his fingers tighten, pulling me down, pulling me closer.Finally, he stops running. He gives in completely, as my mouth wraps around him.Mercer’s breath shudders, his grip tightening in my hair like he’s trying to ground himself, but there’s no hesitation left. No more internal war, no more trying to fight something that’s already been decided.He’s done pretending.I drag my hands down his sides, feeling the tension in his muscles, the way he tries to keep himself composed, controlled, but he’s losing. My mouth slowly, sucking gently. His fingers twitch, his breath catches, and fuck, I know I have him now.I pull back, smirking at him. “Still thinking about running?” I murmur against his skin, my teeth scraping over his collarbone, my hands gripping his thig
Kade POVWe get dressed in silence, and I need that silence because what the hell happened? I gave in, willingly, like a fucking fool. I don’t understand how he does it, but he does. He gets under my skin, makes me forget logic, forget reason, and before I know it, I’m caught in something I don’t know how to get out of.Rook walks down the stairs ahead of me, acting like everything is normal, like we didn’t just fuck, like nothing’s changed. I follow, still turning over every moment in my mind, trying to figure out how the hell I let it happen and how to make sure it never happens again. I need to go home. No, I need to get the fuck away from him. I regret not staying in the damn hospital because at least there, I wouldn’t have ended up in his bed.I have to make this clear to him. This was a mistake, a one-time thing, nothing more. People fuck, it doesn’t mean anything. It’s just sex, and if anyone should understand that, it’s Rook. He’s had more one-night stands than I can count.We
Rook POVOnce everything is plated, I pour a cup of coffee and grab the tray, balancing it as I make my way back upstairs. Kade’s still in bed when I step inside, but I can tell by the way his eyes flick open that he’s been drifting in and out.His gaze shifts to the tray in my hands, then back to me. “What’s this?”“Breakfast,” I say simply, setting it down on the nightstand.He smirks, pushing himself up against the pillows with a wince. “You bring me breakfast in bed now? What happened to calling me a stubborn asshole and telling me to get up?”I cross my arms, giving him a look. “You’re on bed rest today.”Kade raises a brow. “Excuse me?”“You heard me,” I say, grabbing the tray and setting it in front of him. “Eat. Then go back to sleep, watch a game, whatever. But you’re not getting out of that bed today.”Kade scoffs, picking up a piece of toast. “That’s cute. You really think you can keep me in bed all day?”“Yea
Rook POVI watch as Kade walks around the back of the building to go through the back ways so Harlow won’t see him. I didn’t expect that. Him saying we’re going somewhere alone.Honestly, I was expecting to get back and for things to be the exact same. Still, I’m trying not to expect things to be different because if they aren’t, and I gave myself hope, that would destroy me more than just expecting him to do what he did before.Pushing back the issues, I walk inside, and the moment I step through the living room doors, I hear Harlow.“Daddy Rook!” she screams and runs at me. Leaning down, I catch her, and she hugs me, crying.“I’m sorry, princess,” I whisper. Watching her cry for me while Rose dragged her out was one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do. She looks at me, then behind me.“Where’s Daddy Mercer?” She continues to look around.“You know how Daddy Rook sometimes forgets things?” I ask.She nod
Kade POVRook helps me up despite my protests, and soon, we’re in the car, the quiet hum of the engine filling the space as we pull away from the runway.Rook glances at me, eyebrows raised. “So, we're heading straight home and through the back.”I shake my head. “Not yet.”He frowns. “What do you mean, not yet? You just got drugged into sleep, and you still look like shit.”I lean in slightly, lowering my voice so only he hears. “I want to go somewhere. Just us.”His brows knit together. “Where?”I let a slow smirk tug at my lips. “We never got the final moments of our holiday together.”Something flickers in his gaze, surprise, then understanding. He exhales, running a hand through his hair before shaking his head with a small, exasperated smile.“You really are a stubborn asshole,” he mutters.I shrug. “So, we going
Kade POVPain drags me from sleep, and I move slightly, opening my eyes to see we’re on the plane. I can’t remember anything after Rook getting me. I turn, and he’s sitting beside me.He looks wrecked, he’s worried. Smirking, I nudge him, and he turns to face me. “Sorry I was late home.”Groaning, he punches my arm, and I grunt. “Shit, sorry,” he mutters.“It’s fine, that was the only part of my body that didn’t hurt. Now it feels included,” I mock, and he groans.“Like I care that you were home late. Fucked-up thinking, Kade.”I shrug slightly. “Shame, if you were angry, the sex to punish me would have been fucking epic.”“You’re totally fine, clear. Go back to sleep, nob.”Smirking, I lean my head against his shoulder and hold in the groan. At least now he’s smiling and not so worried about me. “Where&
Kade POVPain drags me from sleep, and I move slightly, opening my eyes to see we’re on the plane. I can’t remember anything after Rook getting me. I turn, and he’s sitting beside me.He looks wrecked, he’s worried. Smirking, I nudge him, and he turns to face me. “Sorry I was late home.”Groaning, he punches my arm, and I grunt. “Shit, sorry,” he mutters.“It’s fine, that was the only part of my body that didn’t hurt. Now it feels included,” I mock, and he groans.“Like I care that you were home late. Fucked-up thinking, Kade.”I shrug slightly. “Shame, if you were angry, the sex to punish me would have been fucking epic.”“You’re totally fine, clear. Go back to sleep, nob.”Smirking, I lean my head against his shoulder and hold in the groan. At least now he’s smiling and not so worried about me. “Where&
Rook POVI tilt my head, watching him writhe. “You’re holding out for them, huh? You think they’re watching? That they’re waiting to see if you can handle a little pain before they decide you’re worth saving?”He chokes on his breath, his fingers twitching against the blood-slick table.I grip his chin, forcing him to look at me. “They don’t give a fuck about you. Every second you sit here thinking you’re being loyal, you’re just another second closer to dying for people who don’t even know your fucking name.”He sucks in a broken breath, but his lips stay pressed together.“Fine.” I grab his pinky, and before he can even brace for it, I snap it back. A sickening crack echoes through the room, his strangled scream tearing from his throat as he thrashes.I let him writhe, let the pain settle deep into his bones before I lean in close. “You've got a few fingers left. You ready to waste them all for people who wouldn’t piss on you if you were o
Rook POVI yank the knife out and slam my fist into his ribs. He chokes on a breath, curling in on himself, but I don’t give him time to recover before I drive my knee into his stomach. He crumples to the floor, coughing, blood dripping from his mouth.“You’re making this worse for yourself,” I warn, crouching in front of him. “You think you’re gonna hold out? You think you’ll last?”“I don’t—” His voice cuts off in a strangled cry as I grab his fingers, wrenching one back until it snaps.His scream rips through the room, raw and desperate.I grip his hair, forcing his head up to meet my eyes. “You’ve got nine more before I move onto something worse. Now tell me. Where. Is. He?”Tears spill down his face, his chest rising and falling rapidly. His lips tremble, but he still doesn’t fucking answer.“Stubborn,” I mutter before grabbing another finger and snapping it just as easily as the first. His body jolts, another scream tearing from
Rook POVThis is impossible. There’s no footage from the back of the restaurant, the lead that Lorenzo found is a dead end. I’m beginning to think that note was planted to bait Kade, and now I wonder, did he even see it? Did he walk into this blind?Every fucking move I’ve made has led me in a circle. There’s nothing. No trail, no whispers of where he might be. I’ve had a list of names from Lorenzo, people in this country who might have had the balls to pull something like this. I went through them one by one. Each name dragged in, each one screaming in pain, but all swearing the same thing—they don’t know anything.How the fuck can none of them be involved? My eyes shift to the men in the room, the ones we brought with us. And for the first time, I wonder, are they all innocent? Something isn’t adding up.Nine hours.Nine fucking hours since Kade disappeared, and my father’s words echo in my head.Find him, or he’s dead
Kade POVDanielle watches, waiting, maybe hoping that I’ll finally break. I don’t. I inhale slowly, shaking the blood from my lips, and laugh.“How long do you think you’ve got left?” I ask, my voice rough but still steady. “Every minute you waste here? That’s more time my men have to find me. And when they do? You’ll be fucking wishing you killed me the second I walked through that door.”The guy in front of me hesitates, glancing back at her, waiting for an order.“Keep going,” she snaps, her voice sharper now.He does. Another punch to my ribs, another to my jaw, but I don’t stop grinning. The pain is sharp, burning through my body, but I don’t let it show. They want me to break. They want me to plead. That’s never going to happen.Danielle steps closer, her eyes locked onto mine. “You think you’re so fucking smart, don’t you?” she