Kade POVNikolai watches me for a long moment before he sighs. “There are ways around this, Kade. Without you having to give it up entirely.”I narrow my eyes, skeptical. “Like what?”“Set a routine,” he says simply. “And stick to it.”I scoff. “Oh, right. Just set a routine, like it’s that fucking easy.”“It’s not easy,” he admits. “But it’s necessary. You want to be home more? You need to be home more? Then you need to make sure your time is structured, controlled, not just reacting to whatever problem comes up next.”I exhale sharply, shaking my head. “And what if I say fuck that and just walk away from all of this?”Nikolai’s expression darkens slightly. “Then you leave a power vacuum that someone else will fill. And maybe that someone won’t be as careful about keeping your family out of it.”My jaw clenches, my grip tightening against the arms of the chair.Because I know he’s right.I exhale sharply, shaking my head. “Rook can take over.”Nikolai lets out a bitter laugh, leaning
Rook POVI wake up to the quiet hum of the house, the kind that tells me I’ve slept too long. My head still feels heavy from last night, but at least the pounding from earlier is gone.Pushing myself up, I run a hand through my hair before dragging myself out of bed and heading downstairs.I expect to hear Harlow’s excited footsteps the second she sees me. Expect her to come running, throwing herself into my arms like she always does.But she doesn’t, instead, she’s sitting on the floor, arms crossed, her little face twisted into a deep sulk.I frown, stepping closer and crouching down beside her. “Princess?”She doesn’t look at me.I shift slightly, lowering my voice. “I’m sorry I missed our tea party.”She shrugs, but it’s small, her arms tightening around herself before she wipes away a tear.My stomach twists. “Hey,” I say gently. “What’s wrong?”Before she can answer, Rose steps in, grabbing my arm and pulling me up and away from Harlow.I frown, but she doesn’t let go.“It’s not
Rook POVHe stands still, his breathing hard, his hand still buried in his hair as he stares at the floor like he’s trying to keep himself from exploding.Good, because I don’t give a shit how frustrated he is right now.“She cried, Kade,” I say again, my voice quieter but still sharp. “She cried because you said you’d be back soon and then just… fucking disappeared.”Kade’s jaw clenches, his nostrils flaring as he finally looks at me. “I didn’t mean for it to happen like that.”I let out a humorless laugh. “That doesn’t matter.”“I know,” he snaps, his voice rough, like the guilt is already eating him alive. “I know, Rook.”“Do you?” I take another step toward him, shaking my head. “Because I don’t think you do. I don’t think you get how fucked up it is to sit there and promise her something and then let her down like that.”Kade doesn’t respond, his jaw locked so tight I’m surprised his teeth don’t fucking crack.I scoff, running a hand over my face. “You don’t get it,” I mutter. “Y
Rook POV “That’s not the point,” I mutter. “The point is, you talked about replacing me without even telling me first.”He sighs, rubbing a hand down his face. “This isn’t as simple as me deciding to give it to Kade.”I frown, narrowing my eyes. “What the hell is that supposed to mean?”“It means people talk, Rook.” He leans forward now, resting his arms on the desk. “And they’ve been saying for a while now that you’re not ready to take over.”A sharp sting of anger flares in my chest. “So that’s it, then? I’m just out because they say I am?”“This wasn’t done out of malice,” he says firmly. “This wasn’t some fucking betrayal, Rook. It’s just… sometimes, it isn’t about handing the title to the son.”I shake my head, scoffing. “That’s exactly what it’s about. That’s how it’s always been.”“No,” he corrects, shaking his head. “It’s not.” He sits back, his expression unreadable. “Your grandfather, he wasn’t born into this, Rook.”I blink, caught off guard by the sudden change in topic.
Kade POVI got distracted, which is a fucked-up excuse.Not once have I ever told Harlow I’d do something and then not shown up. The plan was simple, tell Nikolai I was done, come back home. That didn’t happen instead… fuck knows.She seems fine now, but it doesn’t take much to see the new doll in her hands, the one Rook obviously bribed her with. It shouldn’t have come to that. I shouldn’t have let it come to that.“You okay?” Rose asks, watching me closely.I nod, even though it’s a fucking lie. She doesn’t push, just sits down as Harlow walks over and hands her a tiny cup like she’s running her own restaurant.“We need to talk.” Rook’s voice comes from behind me, sharp and to the point.I nod, standing and pulling Harlow in for a quick hug before following him.“Not here,” he mutters, already walking toward the door.Great. If he won’t say it here, it means I’m about to get my ass handed to me. I follow him outside, slipping into the passenger seat as he starts the car. He doesn’t
Kade POVI sigh, rubbing my hands over my face. “I don’t want to lose you over this.”“You’re not,” Rook says immediately. “This isn’t about us, Kade. This is about the fact that my entire life, I was meant to do something I was never actually going to get.” He shrugs. “And honestly? I don’t even know if I give a shit about that anymore.”Sitting here, I study his face, trying to see if he’s lying.Rook exhales sharply, shaking his head. “I’ve had enough of arguing over this, Kade.” His voice is firm, but not angry anymore. Just done. “I didn’t want it. I still don’t want it. Yeah, I was pissed, yeah, I felt fucking betrayed, but only because no one had the guts to tell me the plan.” He tilts his head slightly. “But the actual title? I couldn’t care less.”Staring at him, I wait for something else, something deeper that he’s not saying, but I don’t see it. He’s telling the fucking truth.I shake my head. “I don’t know if I can do this.”Rook scoffs. “You already are.”I run a hand dow
Kade POVI swallow hard, my fingers drumming against the table. “Today, seeing Harlow talking about her routine, about what she does every morning, made me realize something.” I shake my head, the weight of it sinking in. “I’m never fucking home. And I hate it.”Rook watches me, his expression unreadable for a moment. Then, finally, he nods. “Then don’t let it happen again.”I let out a sharp breath, nodding back.Rook exhales, running a hand through his hair before leaning back with a smirk. “Good. That’s one fucking issue solved.”I raise a brow. “Yeah?”“Yeah,” he nods. “Now can we fix the issue of you sitting on the opposite side of the fucking table?” He tilts his head. “Or is this some weird power move I’m not getting?”I chuckle, shaking my head before pushing up from my seat. “Fine, princess.”Rook rolls his eyes, muttering under his breath as I move around to sit beside him.“See?” I smirk, leaning back against the chair. “Nice and close now. Happy?”Rook scoffs. “I guess,” h
Rook POVI’m pissed. No, I’m more than pissed. Kade has me pinned to the chair, one hand firm against my chest while his other casually scrolls through his phone like nothing is fucking happening.Meanwhile, the guy? He’s still standing at the bar, smirking, like he didn’t just say the dumbest shit of his life.“Let me go,” I snap.“No,” Kade mutters, not even looking up. “Because I don’t trust you.”I laugh, it’s sharp and humorless. “You don’t trust me? You’re over here playing it fucking calm on your phone while I’m stuck in this chair when I could be over there putting my fist through his mouth.”Kade finally does look at me, and the moment his eyes meet mine, my whole body goes cold.There’s something calculated in them, something sharp and fucking lethal. I pause, my anger still simmering, but suddenly it doesn’t feel so fucking urgent.Kade tilts his head slightly, watching me.I huff out a breath
Kade POVThen, slowly, his expression shifts.Oh, no. “Rook—”He doesn’t let me finish. His hand fists in my shirt harder, and before I can dodge, his mouth is on mine, hot and insistent.I try to pull back, try being the key word, because Rook is stronger right now, and he’s stubborn, and there’s no way in hell he’s letting me escape.I groan against his lips, gripping his shirt as I kiss him back despite my earlier refusal. His other hand slides up, tangling into my hair, keeping me exactly where he wants me.It’s messy. heated and when he finally pulls back, breath heavy, I know my lips are definitely stained red.I stare at him, trying to glare but failing. “I told you—”Rook smirks, swiping a thumb over my lower lip. “Worth it.”I shake my head, but I can’t even be mad, because, yeah. It kinda was.Exhaling, I rub a hand over my face as Rook glares at me, still standing too close, still looking far too smug w
Kade POVDarren is not fucking happy, but I don’t give a shit. He keeps trying to negotiate, like there’s some way to fix this, like he can worm his way back in if he just says the right thing.There’s no coming back. He’s out. He should be grateful Nikolai agreed to keep him, otherwise, he’d have nothing.“Be grateful you have the team,” I tell him flatly. “I wanted to leave you with nothing.”His eyes narrow. “This is fucked up. What’s the point in me working under Nikolai when he won’t be doing this or have power?”“Would you rather have nothing?”He glares at me. “So what, I work under Nikolai and you get all the fucking rewards? All this because I faked wanting to fuck you for a few pictures?”“Are you done?” I ask, barely restraining my patience. This is because Rook won’t let him near me, I’m saving his fucking life.“No. What the fuck is Nikolai thinking? He would never have agreed to this. So because y
Rook POVBy the time she’s done, she has six dresses draped over her arms, all some combination of sparkles, lace, and ridiculous amounts of tulle.Rose laughs. “You really set yourself up for that one.”“I’m aware,” I mutter, watching as Harlow beams at the pile of dresses in her arms before glancing at me again. A thought flickers across her face, and suddenly, I don’t trust her, it’s the same damn look that Mercer gets when he’s planning my demise.“Since you can’t get a dress,” she says sweetly, already walking toward the accessories section, “you have to wear something else!”I stare after her, dread settling in my stomach. “Harlow…”She ignores me completely, grabbing something from the shelf before turning back with an innocent little grin, holding up a bright pink tiara covered in fake gemstones.I blink. “No way.”“Yes way,” she says, walking right up to me and standing on her tiptoes to try and reach my head. Groaning
Rook POVMy nails shine like there are thousands of tiny little diamonds on them. Harlow is chuckling, highly amused as we get out of the car and she drags me into the next place.“You’re really going to do this?” Rose looks at me.“Yeah,” I mutter, looking at Harlow as she climbs onto a chair. “She’s fucking happy. If I say no, that goes.”“Daddy Rook!” Harlow waves her arms, and Rose just smirks.“You realize she’s going to go big and bold, right? No natural tones. You’re going to come out of here looking like a clown.”“Well then, I’m her clown,” I state and walk over, sitting beside Harlow.“What’s the plan?” the woman looks at me.“Ask Rose,” I say, pointing to Rose. The plan is they pretend to put makeup on her. She gets lipstick and eyeshadow and a bit of blush, but everything else is fake. I don’t want her having whatever else on her face.I think Rose mentioned foundation? Maybe it was primer? I’ve got no fuckin
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