Rook POVMy head is pounding and I groan, rolling onto my side, the sheets tangled around my legs, my body heavy with the kind of exhaustion that only comes after drinking way too much. The room is dim, barely lit by the morning light creeping through the curtains, and my mouth tastes like stale whiskey and regret.I blink a few times, trying to clear the haze from my vision, but it takes me a second to register the unfamiliar ceiling, the scent of someone else’s laundry detergent, the fact that I have no fucking clue where I am.Then I shift slightly, and feel the warmth of someone next to me.My stomach drops. Slowly, cautiously, I turn my head and... “Fuck.”Tyler groans beside me, voice rough with sleep. “Shut the hell up, my head is killing me.”I press my hands into my face, willing the headache away, willing the entire situation away. “What the fuck happened?”Tyler stretches, cracking his neck. “Relax, Rook. We didn’t fuck.”I let out a breath, relief flooding my system, but i
Rook POVI don’t move right away, making sure he’s actually calm before I let up slightly.Tyler sighs dramatically. “This has been fun. We should do it again sometime.”Kade lunges again, and I swear to God I might have to fucking knock him out at this point.Tyler sits up slightly, rubbing his jaw where Kade clocked him, before tilting his head with that same smug smirk that makes me want to punch him myself.“You know,” he muses, “you really don’t appreciate what you have, Mercer.”Kade’s nostrils flare, his jaw clenching. “Shut the fuck up, Tyler.”Tyler grins, clearly enjoying himself. “I mean it. You act like Rook’s just yours like he couldn’t have anyone else if he wanted.” He leans back, shaking his head. “But damn, man. Last night? He was sitting close, leaning into me, hands on me—”Kade bucks beneath me again, but I shove him back hard, my patience gone.“Nothing fucking happened!” I snap at Tyler, my voice louder than I meant. “Jesus Christ, would you stop?”Tyler just lau
Rook POVTyler chuckles, shaking his head as he picks up his beer from the nightstand, completely unbothered.“Well,” he mutters, taking a slow sip, “that was fun.”I whirl around, my glare locking onto Tyler, who is still sitting there completely unbothered, sipping his fucking beer like he didn’t just poke a damn bear for the last ten minutes.“What the fuck was that?” I grind out, my voice sharp, as I barely contain the frustration clawing at my chest.Tyler exhales, tilting his head with that same smug grin. “I was bored.”I stare at him. “Bored?”He shrugs, setting his beer back down on the nightstand, stretching his arms over his head like this was just some casual conversation and not the reason Kade nearly put a bullet in his skull.“Look,” he says, voice a little more serious now, “I was just making sure Kade realized what he fucking has.”I let out a sharp breath, dragging my hand down my face. “You took it too far.”Tyler laughs, shaking his head. “Did I?” He gestures lazil
Kade POVThe second the words leave my mouth, I know I’ve fucked up.Rook goes still, just for a moment, before something explodes in him.His face twists with pure rage, his chest rising and falling sharply as he takes a step closer, his fists clenched so tight I can hear his knuckles crack.“Loyalty?” he shouts, his voice sharp, raw. “You’re throwing fucking loyalty at me?” He lets out a harsh, bitter laugh, shaking his head. “How the fuck can you say that to me when you’ve been sneaking around behind my back?”My stomach clenches, but I don’t speak, don’t get the chance to, because Rook’s not done.“You want to talk about betrayal?” He scoffs, stepping in closer, his eyes burning. “How about the fact that while I was out there, drinking, trying to forget for one fucking night that everything feels like it’s slipping away, you were sitting in a fucking meeting discussing how to take over behind my back?”My jaw locks, my body tensing, but he keeps going, pushing.“My own husband. My
Kade POVI walk toward him, but before I can say anything, he speaks, his voice quiet, exhausted.“Just leave me alone, Kade.”I don’t stop, I sit down beside him, resting my elbows on my knees, exhaling sharply as I stare out at the same dark horizon he is.“I’m sorry,” I say after a long moment. “For how tonight went. For not telling you sooner.”Rook doesn’t say anything. Just flicks the cigarette away, letting the embers burn out in the grass.I glance at him, then back at the sky. “I didn’t know what the meeting was about until I was already inside,” I admit, my voice rough. “By the time I realized, they were already talking about you. Already planning how to replace you.” I shake my head. “I stayed to listen because I had to know what they were saying. Because I wasn’t going to let them bullshit their way into pushing you out without understanding what was happening.”Rook lets out a sharp breath, but he still doesn’t look at me.“They asked me to take over,” I continue, my voic
Kade POVI see how much time I’ve let slip through my fingers, how I let myself get pulled further and further into my work until I wasn’t even paying attention to what it was doing to them. To us.I run a hand through my hair, sighing. “Rook—”He laughs, sharp and tired. “You say you’ll change, but then what? You’ll get pulled into another meeting, another job, another fucking crisis, and suddenly, we’re right back here. I’ve heard this before, Mercer.”His voice isn’t angry anymore. It’s defeated, and that fucking kills me.I shift closer, reaching out again, but this time, I don’t just hold his chin, I take his face in my hands, forcing him to look at me.“No, you haven’t heard this before,” I tell him, my voice low, steady. “Because I didn’t fucking see it before. But I see it now, and I’m telling you, I’m fixing it.”His jaw tightens, his breath slightly uneven, but he doesn’t pull away.“I dropped hockey to be with you,” he mutters after a beat, and for the first time, his voice
Kade POVI got Rook to bed, he needed to sleep off the alcohol. But me? I can’t sleep. The weight of everything still sits heavy in my chest, pressing down like a fucking vice, refusing to let go.So I get up and throw on my clothes, grab my things, and leave.The drive to Tyler’s place is short, but my head is still spinning by the time I pull up outside. The second I see the house, my blood starts boiling all over again.I don’t bother knocking. The door’s unlocked, so I shove it open, slamming it behind me as I step inside. The sound echoes through the quiet house, and Tyler, who was sitting on one of the chairs, jolts, his head snapping toward me.His eyes widen.“Shit...wait, Kade, Mercer, fuck!” He shoots up from his seat, already backing up with his hands raised. “Look, we’re fucking mates.”I laugh, sharp and cold. “Mates?” My voice rises. “You were in bed with Rook.”Tyler winces. “Nothing happened.”“No,” I snap, stepping forward, making him move back. “But you wanted it to,
Kade POVTyler scoffs. “That’s what I thought.” He crosses his arms. “You want to know what I see? I see Rook with Harlow, all the time. I see him alone at the rink, at the bar, everywhere. But you?” His eyes narrow. “I never see him with you anymore.”My stomach clenches. “That’s not fair.”“Isn’t it?” He raises a brow. “When’s the last time you showed up for him? Actually showed up? Not just physically, but fully fucking there?”I grind my teeth, my hands curling into fists. “I’ve been busy—”“We’re all busy, Mercer!” Tyler snaps, throwing his hands up. “That’s a fucking excuse. You chose to put everything else first. You chose work, you chose obligations, you chose—” he gestures vaguely, “—whatever the fuck it is you’ve been doing for your father-in-law. But you didn’t choose him.”His words slam into me like a wrecking ball.Tyler lets out a breath, his voice quieter now. “As a friend, I tried to tell you. I tried to warn you. But you brushed it off like it didn’t mean shit.” He t
Kade’s POVRook stands here, his hands clenched at his sides, his whole body radiating with frustration. I know him well enough to see the way his anger isn’t just about today. It’s about everything that came before it, about every time I put business first without meaning to, about the way I always assume he will be there no matter how much shit I pile on top of him.I want to tell him I didn’t mean to forget. That it wasn’t on purpose, that today spiraled into something bigger than I expected. But none of that matters because the fact remains the same. I still forgot.I step closer, but he doesn’t move, doesn’t react. He just stares at me, his jaw tight, waiting for something.“Tell me how to fix it,” I say, my voice lower now.He scoffs. “You can’t.”“I can if you let me,” I push, watching for any sign that I can still salvage this.“You shoul
Rook POVSighing, I look at him“I’m sorry. I just found it funny that they did this big scheme to get to me, thinking I was taking over, when all along, you were working to fuck up their plan.”He nods slowly. “After I saw the messages on his phone, I had to drive from place to place to find the men he had stationed around, waiting for a sign of you. They weren’t going to hold back. They were willing to do it in public.”Kade exhales, rubbing a hand down his face. “I haven’t had my phone. It died, and the one I had on me stopped being tracked at some point, but I didn’t realize it. I sorted out the men involved, got back to the warehouse, and saw Nikolai stressed out, which is when I realized no one knew I was okay.” He shakes his head slightly. “I grabbed my ring, got my phone, and came straight home.”I watch him carefully, my jaw tightening. “So, you just went off the
Rook POVI stab my fork into my food, pretending like I actually have an appetite, pretending like I’m not one second away from losing my mind. I just need a call, a text, or something. I get it though, depending what he's doing, messaging me? That could be a fucking disaster and lead whoever it is back here. But as the hours drag on and the sun starts to set, and still I get nothing, I worry even more.“Shall I get her in bed?” Rose looks at me. “She’s bathed and dressed.”“No, I will,” I reply and walk upstairs.I find Harlow sitting in her bedroom, her small hands gripping the hairdryer. She smiles as I walk in and holds it out.“Help,” she says, waving it at me.“That’s exactly why I’m up here,” I reply, taking it from her.Standing behind her, I switch it on and start drying her hair, listening as she chatters on about her dolls. She talks nonstop, barely pausing for breath as she explains something about a royal wedding gone wro
Rook’s POVToday is a fucking disaster, just like last year.We lost by one damn point because I spent five fucking minutes on the bench.By the time I get home, I storm inside, my pulse still hammering from the game and the frustration burning beneath my skin.“Where the fuck is he?” I snap, my voice cutting through the silence.Damon steps forward, his expression careful. “He wasn’t at the warehouse when I went.”I stop dead, turning to stare at him. “You said he was there.”“Well, his phone was, so we assumed he was there. No one would tell us where he was. Apparently, only a few people were told to ensure it was safe.”I want to be angry, to throw something, to blame him for not knowing, but the fact that so few people even know where Kade is means this isn’t something small.I take a slow breath, forcing myself to stay in control. &ld
Kade POVDeclan? He just keeps running his fucking mouth.“You know, I used to wonder why Nikolai kept him around,” he continues, spitting blood onto the floor. “A sniveling, weak little bitch with a name he didn’t fucking deserve. Always throwing tantrums, always being coddled, always needing someone to clean up after him, “pathetic." But then I realized it.” His lips curl, a cruel glint in his eye.“Rook’s not here because he’s strong. He’s here because people like you keep spreading his legs for him. He’s never fought for a damn thing in his life, never had to work for it, never had to be worth shit, just sat there and let men like his daddy, men like you pick up the pieces when he breaks like the fragile little cum-dumpster he is."My breathing is steady. My heart rate doesn’t spike.But my fingers twitch.Declan leans in slightly, smirking
Kade POVAs soon as he's got the door open his daughtersteps out fast and slaps him across the face. “This is your fault!” she yells.“To be fair, it’s also on you,” I cut in, smirking when she whips around to face me. “You told me everything.”Her glare sharpens, but I don’t flinch. “You can leave now.”She hesitates, looking between me and her father.Declan sighs, pulling her in for a hug. “Go, princess. I’ll be fine.”I scoff. “Debatable.”She turns her fury on me, storming forward. “If you hurt him—”“You’ll what?” I ask, stepping closer.She falters, stepping back slightly.“Exactly,” I say lowly. “Nothing. Now get out.”She spins and storms off, her heels echoing across the concrete floor.Declan watches her leave before turning to me, conf
Rook POVBy the time I pull up to the rink two hours later, my frustration is boiling over. Neither Kade nor my dad have answered my calls. I tried both of them multiple times, but nothing. Not a damn response.Gripping the wheel for a moment, I exhale slowly before getting out of the car. I grab my bag and Kade’s, heading inside without bothering to check my phone again. If he was coming, he’d be here already.As I step into the rink, the usual pre-game energy is buzzing around, but I barely register it. I spot Taylor on my way past and shove Kade’s bag into his hands without stopping.“He’s late,” I mutter, not waiting for a response before continuing toward the locker room.The second I step inside, I can feel eyes on me. The tension in the room is thick, unspoken. The guys glance at me, some shifting awkwardly, but no one says anything outright.I force myself to focus, setting my bag down and pulling
Rook’s POVWhen I wake, I’m alone. I glance at my phone, but there’s nothing from Kade. Sighing, I get up and get ready. When I head downstairs, I see Harlow sitting with Rose.Kade’s mother is in a separate room with the capo at the door. I’m glad they did that since I don’t want her anywhere near Harlow. Rubbing my face, I walk to the office, but no one is there.“Where are they?” I ask.“Your dad mentioned he was going to meet Lucas,” Damon shrugs.“Yeah, I know him. He does that often, just decides to go visit him without notice,” I laugh. “And Kade?”“From what I hear, he hasn’t left the warehouse.”Sighing, I nod and head to the kitchen to grab a coffee. Walking back through, I sit with Harlow and Rose.“You and Mercer are playing today, right?” Rose smiles.“No, it’s tomorr
Kade POVI take another slow step toward the far side of the warehouse, letting my eyes sweep the space. “What’s in the other rooms?” I ask, keeping my tone light, like I’m just making conversation.She shrugs, finishing another drink before wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. “Nothing. Just old storage spaces, I think.”“Isn’t it a bit foolish not to check? What if someone else is here?”That makes her pause. Her head tilts slightly as she glances around, like the thought only just occurred to her. “Yeah… maybe we should check.” She smirks, nudging me with her elbow. “But you go first.”“Figures.” I let out a short laugh, shaking my head.Making my way toward the first door, I place my hand on the rusted handle before pushing it open. The room inside is small, half-empty, and useless. The window on the far wall lets in too much light, an