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 POVI let myself sit for a moment, drumming my fingers against the desk as I think through what Callum just told me. No major problems, nothing burning down, but there’s always something shifting in the background. Always someone watching, waiting to see what I’ll do next.Time to make it clear. I press the intercom again. “Send in the hockey guys. One at a time.”A few minutes later, the door opens, and the first guy steps in. I recognize him immediately, Liam Carter, a defenseman for one of the teams Nikolai had under his thumb. He’s young, early twenties, still wide-eyed but with a layer of arrogance that tells me he thinks he’s untouchable. Dark blonde hair, sharp cheekbones, built like a guy who’s used to throwing his weight around on the ice.He hesitates only slightly before stepping forward. “Mercer,” he says, but there’s a flicker of something in his eyes, the same curiosity I saw in DeLuca’s guy.“Volkov,” I correct, watching him clo
Kade POVStaying in bed is not me. I’m going out of my damn mind, and it’s only been an hour. Getting showered and dressed, I go downstairs, careful not to be seen by Harlow, then go out to the cars.The guys look at me like I’m crazy, but I’m not. I won’t do anything big, just small things. Getting in the car, my head falls back, and just the noise from the car helps. I don’t think it would have been that bad if I wasn’t alone in the room.The moment the car stops, I’m out of it and walking into the building. There’s a lot I need to get sorted. One side is the hockey. Not me giving it up, but the side Nikolai ran.I’m not comfortable using people’s personal shit against them to get what I want. Purely because I know how much it can fuck with your head.Stopping it, though, isn’t ideal. It’s part of the structure that Nikolai built, and I don’t want to be tearing it
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