Kade POV I push off the bed, ignoring the dull ache in my muscles, the lingering heat under my skin, the way his eyes track every move I make like he’s still not done with me.“I need a shower,” I mutter, heading toward the bathroom before he can say something else that will make me want to strangle him or kiss him again.“Take your time,” he calls after me, his voice dripping with satisfaction. “I’ll be right here, waiting for round two.”I swear to fucking God, I’m going to kill him.The water is scorching, the heat hitting my skin in a way that should hurt, but it doesn’t. Instead, it seeps in deep, loosening my muscles, washing away the soreness, the tension, the weight of everything pressing down on me.For the first time in what feels like forever, my body feels good. The ache in my ribs fades under the pressure of the steam, the stiffness in my limbs easing as the heat wraps around me, soothing, numbing, taking away all the shit clogging up my head.My lips twitch slightly, a
Rook POVKade’s been in there too long.I stretch out on the bed, waiting, giving him space, but minutes pass, and something feels off. My eyes flicker toward the window, the memory of him climbing out last time still fresh, and annoyance flares through me. If he ran again, I swear to fucking god.Pushing up, I stride toward the bathroom, not bothering to knock as I push the door open. The steam is thick, clinging to every surface, but through it, I see him, still standing under the water, his back to me, his hands braced against the tile like the only thing keeping him upright is the goddamn wall.Smirking, I lean against the doorframe. “I thought you had run again,” I say, waiting for some smart-ass remark, but he doesn’t say anything.My smirk fades and I step inside, closing the door behind me, stripping off my shirt as I move toward him. Something isn’t right. I know it.Without a word, I drop the rest of my clothes and step into the shower, the water scorching against my skin, b
Rook POVI’ll take it. For now.We get dried off in silence, the only sound is the occasional rustle of towels against skin, the distant hum of the house settling, and the steady rhythm of Kade’s breathing. He moves slower than usual, dragging the towel through his hair, rolling his shoulders like he’s still trying to shake something off, but at least he’s moving.That’s a start. I toss my towel aside, grabbing a clean pair of sweats and pulling them on before turning to face him. “Get dressed,” I tell him, reaching for a shirt.He snorts under his breath. “I am, fuckhead.”I smirk, leaning against the dresser, watching him pull on his clothes like it’s the most exhausting thing he’s ever done. “Is that the best you can come up with, Mercer?”He glares at me, shoving his arms into his hoodie. “What do you want, a fucking poetry recital?”“Would be nice. Maybe something a little more creative. I mean, ‘fuckhead’? C’mon. You’ve got an extensive vocabulary of insults, and that’s what you
Rook POVI hand him a stick and a puck once we step onto the ice, and he stares at me like I’ve lost my mind.“I’m not meant to fucking play,” he states, crossing his arms over his chest.I raise an eyebrow. “Oh, you enjoy killing men, but breaking the rules of hockey time-out is scary?”He exhales sharply, shaking his head, but there’s the smallest twitch at the corner of his mouth. “You’re a dick.”“And yet, here you are.” I tap my stick against the ice. “Come on, Mercer. Just a little. No one’s watching. What, are you afraid of getting grounded?”His jaw clenches, but I see it, the way his fingers flex slightly around his stick. He wants this. He wants to move, to feel the ice beneath him, to play.I drop the puck and glide backward. “First to score three wins.”He scoffs. “Wins what?”I smirk. “Wouldn’t you like to know?”For a second, he hesitates, but then something in him gives, and he pushes forward, taking the bait.And then it happens. He laughs, a real laugh.Not a scoff. N
Kade POVI sit in the car next to Rook, staring out the window in silence. I could have won. Yeah, my body was exhausted, my ribs ached with every breath, but I could have won.At some point, though, I let go.I don’t know if it was because I wanted an excuse not to fight him for once or because the thought of going home, looking my mom and sisters in the eye, knowing I killed two men, feels wrong.So he won. I didn’t make it obvious, just started slowing down, let the ache in my ribs take more control, winced when I knew he was watching. He thought I was slacking. He believed I lost because of the pain, not because I let it happen.I sigh, rubbing a hand down my face, glancing around. “Where the fuck are we going, Rook?”“Your team’s playing,” he says, eyes still on the road. “Figured you should be there, keep them motivated. Kick their asses into gear. You might not be able to play, but you can still throw abuse at them for being shit.” His lips curl into that smug smirk of his, lik
Kade POVMy phone vibrates in my pocket, giving me an excuse to drop the conversation. I pull it out and see Rook’s name flash across the screen.Rook: Go out with the team. I’ve got shit to handle with my father.I don’t reply right away, my fingers tightening around the phone.Another message comes through.Rook: And don’t go getting naked in alleys again. You might not be so lucky next time.My jaw clenches as I glare at the screen. Fucker.“Who’s that?” Tyler asks, still watching me like he’s trying to read my damn mind.“No one,” I mutter, shoving my phone back into my pocket.I should go home. I should shower, sleep, let my body recover. But something about the way my team is watching me, the way Rook thinks he can just tell me what to do, makes my chest burn with something too close to frustration.“Fuck it,” I say, standing up. “Let’s go get trashed.”The guys cheer, shoving me toward the door as we head out. I don’t know if I actually want this, but at least for tonight, I ca
Kade POVThe door swings open behind me.“Where the fuck you going?” Tyler asks, stepping outside, beer still in hand.I exhale sharply, dragging a hand through my hair. “Not sure yet.”But I am, I know where I'm going to go, and I hate that I am.Tyler eyes me, his brow furrowing like he’s trying to figure out what’s going on inside my head. I don’t give him a chance to ask.“Tell the guys I’ll catch them later,” I mutter, already turning away.“The fuck, Mercer? You never skip out on a night like this.”He’s right. I don’t. But tonight, nothing feels right. The drinks aren’t hitting how they should, the laughter isn’t drowning out my thoughts, and I can’t shake the feeling that there’s only one thing that’ll quiet my fucking mind.Rook.I walk off, ignoring whatever else Tyler is saying, pulling my phone out and texting the only person I shouldn’t be texting.Me: Where are you?I don’t expect an immediate answer, but my phone buzzes before I even step off the curb.Rook: Home. Why?
Rook’s POVI know the moment this ends, he’ll go right back to shutting me out and pushing me away with every excuse he can find, running the second he gets the chance. But that doesn’t matter. I can always pull him back, always drag him deeper.Leaning over him, I grip his wrists and pull them up. Before he even realizes, the cuffs are locked around them, secured to the bed.“Fuck,” he breathes, and I grin.“You really thought I didn’t notice how much you love being chained down? How much you love taking my cock when you’ve got no choice?” I growl, thrusting into him without hesitation.His groan is muffled against the pillows, like he’s trying to silence himself, but I know better. He still wants to fight, still wants to snap back and use his words as a weapon.My hand snakes around his throat, pulling his head back just as I drive into him again. He groans, his body arching against me.“Go on,” I whisper against his ear, my grip tightening. “Say it. I fucking dare you.”He doesn’t
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
Kade POVAfter a while, she grabs my hand and tugs me toward the edge of the dance floor. “Come on, let’s sit. I need a drink, and you need to tell me why I’ve never seen you before.”I let her lead me toward one of the small lounge areas near the bar, keeping my expression relaxed even though I don’t like the way her fingers press against my wrist. It’s light, barely there, but I still feel it, a reminder that I don’t like being touched by anyone book Rook. I don’t let it show.She slides into the seat first, crossing her legs as she leans back, completely at ease. I follow, keeping enough space between us to make it look natural but not enough for her to think I’m uncomfortable.“So,” she drawls, reaching for her drink. “Are you going to tell me your name, or am I going to have to keep calling you mystery man?”I smirk, taking a sip of my own drink before answering. &ld
Kade POVI glance between the men, weighing my options. Who can pull this off? Who can get close without looking like exactly what they are?Before I decide, Nikolai sighs and gestures toward them. “They all look too much like capos to do it.”He is right. None of them blend in. They all carry themselves like what they are, dangerous men who make people nervous when they walk into a room. I need someone who can pass as harmless. Someone she won't see coming.“Rook could work,” Nikolai glances at me.“I’m not getting him involved in this.” It’s too much of a risk.“Plus, you have to remember, Declan knows Rook, so his daughter will as well.” Jaxon looks at us.Good, because I didn’t want Rook in the center of this. “I’ll do it,” I say, and Nikolai stares at me. “No one knows me yet, not enough to know who I am, which was proved by your friend and
Kade POVThe clock on the wall reads just past two in the morning, but neither of us has moved from our seats. The only sound in the room is the faint hum of the security system and the occasional click as Nikolai skips through the footage frame by frame.I lean forward, elbows on my knees, staring at the screen. We have been at this for hours, combing through every angle, every possible lead, trying to figure out who the hell took the shipment.“Pause it,” Nikolai says suddenly, his voice sharp. My eyes snap to him as he leans in. “Zoom in on that.”One of the men in the frame shifts slightly, turning just enough for the camera to catch his profile. The image is grainy, but it is enough.Nikolai exhales through his nose, his expression unreadable. “That'ss Declan Voss.”I recognize the name the second he says it.Declan doesn't live here. He is from out of town, from another city and doesn't come h
Rook POV“Is there anything I can do?”He shrugs slightly. “Until we get a name of who took the shipment, nothing can be done. Then it is up to Kade.”I roll my eyes.“Are you really not going to ask him?” He leans back and laughs.“No.” I will not ask Kade if there is anything I can do.“Why?”“Because I told him if he needs me, he should ask, and I will be there instantly. So me asking if there is anything I can do to help him is unnecessary. It also makes it sound like I am checking in on him or trying to say he cannot handle it alone.”He laughs and lifts his glass. “You are delusional if that is what you really think.”“Maybe he would not, but that is how I feel.” I rub my face, feeling exhaustion pull at me.“Look, I am going to see him. Go to bed and get some sleep.”I watch him stand and grab his jacket. “Why are you going? You do not need to.”“Because you are worried about him and will not
Rook’s POVI don’t usually worry about Kade when he’s working. Okay, I do, because I know how quickly things can change. But today? It feels different. There is something heavier about it, something I do not like. He has done his usual thing of messaging me every few hours with an I’m alive! like he thinks it is a joke.Still, the time between those messages? Torture. Normally, my dad is around, so I can ask him for updates, and he has them. But even he is gone today.I place the box down, and Rose smiles at me. “He will love it,” she says.I am not so sure. Buying for Kade is hard. He is weird. His only real interests are hockey and work. Outside of that, he has no hobbies.He is not picky when it comes to gifts, but every time I ask what he wants, or at least for an idea, I get the same response. I do not want anything.That response caused an argument last month. I told him if he really did not care enou
Kade POVRook smirks as he flips another pancake onto the growing stack. “You look like you’re plotting something.”I set my coffee down, crossing my arms. “Yeah, I’m thinking about throwing you out of your own damn house.”He bursts out laughing, and it's loud, like I just told the best joke he’s ever heard. He tilts his head, still grinning. “You think that would stop me?”I arch a brow. “Pretty sure it would.”He scoffs. “Kade, come on. I know this place better than you do. There are secret ways in. I could be in here before you even realize it. You’d go to bed thinking you’re safe, and then…” He leans in slightly, lowering his voice. “Bam. There I am, watching you and waiting.”I stare at him. “You do realize how creepy that sounds, right?”Rook shrugs, completely unbothered. “Yeah, but that just makes it better.”I shake my head, picking up a pancake from the plate and taking a bite straight from it. “You really don’t have
Kade POVI’m late, and I can’t afford to stay in bed with Rook any longer. “I need to move,” I murmur, pressing a quick kiss to his lips before slipping out of bed and heading straight for the shower. I hear him moving around the room, and moments later, he joins me.“When I said I’m late, I meant I need to get going,” I say, turning to face him.Rook just shrugs like it’s nothing. “You’re fine. My dad said he’d keep things moving and let you sleep.” His gaze locks onto mine, waiting for me to argue. “So slow the hell down and actually spend time with me. Or is this just going to be a case of you fucking me and running off after like always?”I tilt my head, frowning. “You know that’s bullshit.” The words come out firm, meant to be the truth, but even I know there’s some weight to what he’s saying. More often than not, I barely stick around for five minutes after.Rook leans into me, a teasing smirk playing on his lips. “So, what’s