Rook POVI grin against his skin, my hand tightening on his jaw as I keep him exactly where I want him. “There it is,” I murmur, my voice thick with satisfaction. “Took you long enough.”His breath is sharp, uneven, like he’s still trying to hold himself together. But he’s lost that battle, and we both know it. I keep moving, my thrusts steady, deliberate. Deep enough that he shudders beneath me, his fingers curling into fists against the cuffs.“You feel that?” I whisper, dragging my lips over his ear, my voice almost soft. “That’s your body telling me everything you won’t.”His jaw clenches, but I feel the way his breath stutters, the way his back arches just slightly as I push deeper. His silence isn’t defiance anymore, it’s surrender.Still it's not good enough, I want to hear him. I need to. Sliding my hand down, I press my palm against his stomach, feeling the way his muscles tense beneath my touch. My fingers drift lower, teasing, barely brushing where he’s aching for more.Kad
Rook POVThe silence stretches between us, but it isn’t tense. It isn’t forced. It’s just there, settling over us in a way that feels almost foreign.Mercer doesn’t pull away. Doesn’t shift uncomfortably or make some excuse to put space between us. He just stays there, breathing steadily, his fingers still loosely tangled with mine.I rest my chin against his shoulder, feeling the slow rise and fall of his chest. He’s letting me in. Whether he realizes it or not, this is something.“You’re not freaking out.” I smirk against his skin. He replies with a scoff, low and rough. “You were expecting me to?”I chuckle. “Wouldn’t be the first time you lost your shit over something soft.”He tenses just a little, but I feel the way his chest moves, something close to a huff of amusement, even if he won’t admit it.Shifting, I press in closer, letting my hand slide up his back, feeling the warmth of his skin beneath my palm. “You like this,” I murmur, my lips barely brushing against his shoulde
Kade’s POVHis body stills, his eyes locking onto mine, sharp and searching. “What the fuck does that mean?” he whispers.“It means your family caused us to be living like this, Rook! That’s what it fucking means,” I snap.His gaze flickers around, like he’s trying to piece it together, trying to make sense of something that’s been a fact in my life for years. “I don’t get what you’re saying.”I sigh, rubbing a hand over my face. “When I visited, I told her, about everything. And she pulled out a picture. My father, about eighteen, standing with your grandfather.” I shake my head, jaw clenching. “I don’t know the whole story, but whatever happened, he lost everything. And he never got it back.”Rook exhales sharply, his posture shifting. “That wasn’t me. I’m not like that.”I scoff. “No? Then where are we sleeping tonight, Rook? Let me guess, you got a nice, fancy hotel nearby, right?”His head tilts, his brows pulling together, confusion flickering across his face.I laugh bitterly,
Kade POVShe crosses her arms tighter. “So, what? You’re keeping tabs on him now? Dragging him around wherever you want? What happens when you get bored, huh?”Rook’s expression shifts just slightly. Not much, but I catch it. He exhales, his smirk softening into something almost unreadable. “I’m not leaving him,” he says simply.Mom’s jaw tenses. “That’s not what I asked.”I grit my teeth. “Mom—”“No, Kade.” She turns to me, her voice firm. “You told me what he did. You told me what his family did. You told me everything, and now you’re standing in front of me like it doesn’t matter anymore.”I don’t respond. I can’t, because she’s right. It should matter.But it doesn’t, at least, not in the way it did before.Mom’s gaze flicks between us again, her lips pressing into a thin line. She’s seeing something, I don’t know what, but it’s making her more on edge, not less.She exhales sharply. “I want to talk to my son alone.”Rook glances at me, waiting. He’s not going to leave unless I te
Kade POVHe glances at me for half a second before turning back to her, his voice lower when he speaks.“Because I’m not leaving him,” he says simply.The words hit harder than they should. I shift, staring down at my drink, pretending like that didn’t just mess with my head.Mom, however, isn’t buying it. “And what happens when your father doesn’t give you a choice? When the next time you need to prove your loyalty, it’s Kade who gets caught in the crossfire?”Rook doesn’t flinch. He just watches her, unreadable, before he says, “That’s not gonna happen.”She scoffs. “You sound real sure of that for someone whose family could end all of this in a second.”Rook’s jaw tightens slightly, but his smirk stays in place. “Then I guess I’ll just have to make sure that doesn’t happen.”Mom shakes her head, looking like she wants to argue, but I cut in before she can. “It’s late. If you want to fight, can we do it in the morning?”She exhales, rubbing her temple. “Fine. But this isn’t over.”I
Rook’s POVThe room is still dark when I wake. The faint glow from the window tells me it’s early, probably around 5:30, but I don’t need to check to know I won’t be falling back asleep.Kade is still curled up against me, his body warm, his breathing slow and even. He’s completely relaxed, something I don’t think I’ve ever seen when he’s awake.I let myself look at him for a moment longer than I should. Then, carefully, I shift away, moving slow enough not to wake him.I climb out of bed, stretching out the stiffness in my limbs before grabbing my clothes from where I tossed them the night before. I pull on my jeans, then my shirt, running a hand through my hair before stepping toward the door.The second I step out of the bedroom, I freeze.Kade’s mom is already awake.She stands in the small kitchen, a cup of coffee in hand, her gaze locking onto me the moment I enter the room.And she glares. The kind of glare that says she’s already been thinking about what she wants to say to me
Rook POVI shake my head, forcing out a breath. “My whole life, I’ve been surrounded by people who only take what’s useful, who only keep what benefits them. People who don’t give a single fuck about anything that doesn’t serve their own goddamn purpose.” My gaze meets hers, my throat tight. “And then there’s him.”Her expression doesn’t change, but something in the air shifts.I huff out a breath, shaking my head. “He’s the only one who doesn’t treat me like I’m some fucking legacy waiting to happen. Who doesn’t care about my name, my family, my power, he only cares about me. He fights me like he means it. Pushes back when I go too far, calls me out on my shit because he actually gives a damn.“And somehow, with him and when I’m around him, I don’t have to be Rook fucking Volkov, heir to a goddamn empire. I can just be. No expectations, no pretending, no need to prove anything.“He doesn’t want anything from me. Not money, not power, not protection.“But he chooses me. Again and agai
Rook’s POVKade sleeps perfectly fucking fine, but I can’t. Not just because I never go back to sleep once I wake up, but because of what he said.Lying here with my arms around him, I’m actually comfortable. Comfortable enough that if my mind would shut the hell up, I might even fall back asleep.But it won’t. The weight of his words keeps pressing into my skull, dragging me under in a way exhaustion never could.Carefully, I slide out of bed, moving quietly as I step out of the room. The trailer is silent except for the faint hum of appliances, the world outside still dark.I drop onto the couch in the small living space, pulling out my phone and scrolling to the name I need. I hesitate for half a second, then press call.It barely rings twice before the familiar voice answers.“Rook? Everything good?”“Yeah,” I mutter, keeping my voice low. “I need you to do something.”There’s a pause, then a quiet chuckle. “What now? I already got you days off.”I sigh, rubbing a hand down my fac
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
Kade POVSuddenly she moves fast. One second, she’s grinning at me, and the next, she’s leaning in, her lips pressing against mine without hesitation.I push her back instantly, shifting away as smoothly as I can without making it obvious how much I don’t want this. She blinks, surprised for half a second before smirking like this is all some kind of game.Laughing it off, I force down the frustration curling in my chest. “You’re a bit forward, aren’t you?”She tilts her head, her fingers tapping against the table. “And you’re a bit slow at taking hints.”“Do you want to do something?” I shake my head, pretending I'm amused instead of irritated. She watches me for a moment before sighing and stretching her arms out.“Like what?”She leans in slightly, eyes glinting with mischief. “Come with me. I know there’s some really good whiskey in these crates. We could take a few bottles and get drunk.”That catches my interest.I sit back, considering. Here, I’ve got an easy excuse to shut her
Kade POV“What about you?” I ask, shifting the topic slightly. “What would you do if you weren’t working with him?”She tilts her head, considering. “I don’t know. Maybe run something legitimate, something with actual structure. My own thing, away from all the crap he’s dragged me into.”I keep my attention on her, letting her talk. She wants to prove herself, wants to be seen as more than just someone working under her father. That might be useful.She leans in, smiling at me. “But enough about that. Let’s talk about you now.”Before I can respond, her hand slides over my thigh, fingers trailing higher. I laugh, catching her wrist before she can go further. “Calm down, we’re in public.”She pouts playfully but doesn’t pull away immediately. “You afraid of a little attention?”I smirk, keeping my grip loose but firm. “Not a fan of giving everyone a show.”She sighs dramatically, finally pulling her hand back. “Fine. I’ll behave. For now."I chuckle, taking another sip of my drink. “Tha
Kade POVShe keeps flirting, keeps finding excuses to touch me. A hand on my knee when she laughs, a brush of her fingers when she reaches for her drink. I play along, giving just enough to keep her engaged, but every touch makes my skin crawl. I don’t let it show.Her phone buzzes, and she glances at it, sighing before muttering under her breath.I take a sip of my drink, watching her. “You good?”She rolls her eyes. “Just my dad being an asshole.”Bingo.I let out a short laugh, shaking my head. “Yeah, I get that.” I exhale, swirling the drink in my glass before muttering, “Mine went and got himself killed.”She pauses, her fingers still resting against the stem of her glass as her eyes flick back to me. “Shit. How?”I shrug, keeping my expression neutral. “Got involved with the wrong people. The Volkovs. Thought he could play their game, but he wasn&rsqu
Kade POVThe taxi ride to the club feels strange. It has been years since I have needed to take one, but showing up in my usual car would be a mistake. I keep my hood up, staring out of the window as the city moves past in a blur. Titan is not my kind of place, loud and packed with people trying too hard to impress each other, but for now, it is where I need to be.When the taxi stops, I step out and pay the driver before heading toward the entrance. The bouncer barely glances at me as I walk inside, the heavy bass of the music vibrating through the floor beneath my feet. The scent of alcohol and sweat lingers in the air, neon lights flickering overhead.I move to the bar, keeping my steps casual, blending in. Sitting down, I glance around, scanning the crowd for her.It doesn't take long to find her. She's near the VIP section, sitting with two other women, laughing as she sips her drink. She doesn't look concerned, doesn't look like someone hiding a sto