Kade POVIt’s been a week since I last saw my mother. A week of waiting, thinking she’d eventually give in. But she hasn’t.Nikolai isn’t soft. He’s thrown everything at her legal team, tearing apart every argument they come up with, but she’s still refusing to back down.Now, she’s shifted tactics. It’s not just about money anymore. Now it’s about me—about how I’m dating the people she blames for putting her in a trailer, how it’s traumatized her to see me with them.At that point, I was ready to say screw it and just pay. The last thing I want is for this to drag Rook or Nikolai into the spotlight.Nikolai refused.He was insistent. She has nothing to prove her case. Yeah, there were payments made to his family, but that was when his father was in charge. Those stopped the second Nikolai took over. There’s no evidence linking them to my father’s death either. Nikolai isn’t just some random guy—he’s made sure there’s nothing left for her to use.Her legal team is scrambling, throwing
Kade POVI shake my head, adjusting my gear. “Told you.”Rook rolls his eyes. “You two deserve each other.” He glances toward Rose, smirking. “And you, congratulations on being the highest-paid person in this house for doing absolutely nothing.”Rose just shakes her head, clearly unfazed.“Come on,” I say, picking up my bag. “Let’s go before you start making a PowerPoint presentation on it.”Rook sighs dramatically. “Fine. But when I win tonight, I expect a public apology for your disrespect.”I laugh, already heading for the door. “Not happening.”He follows, muttering under his breath. “We’ll see about that.”Sliding into the back of the car, I barely get settled before Rook nudges me with his elbow.“So,” he starts, dragging the word out, “have you made any new agreements with my dad yet?”I scoff, shaking my head. “Not throwing the game, if that’s what you’re asking. I’m playing for real.”He grins, leaning back against the seat. “Good. I want a fair win.”I laugh, turning to look
Kade POVHe catches up to me near center ice, waiting for the next faceoff. “You always hit me that hard, or is this because I didn’t let you finish your coffee this morning?” he smirks.I roll my eyes. “Oh, don’t start...”“Actually, now that I think about it,” he cuts me off, tapping his stick against the ice, “you seemed real moody when I took Harlow from you, too. You getting attached, Mercer?"The puck drops before I can respond, and I immediately get possession, moving fast up the ice. I hear Rook laughing behind me.“Thought so,” he calls after me.I tune him out, focusing on the game. But that doesn’t stop him from running his mouth every chance he gets.When I pull a quick deke past one of his teammates, he whistles. “Damn, that’s smooth. Almost as smooth as when you tripped over the damn baby gate yesterday.”I grit my teeth, chasing him into the defensive zone as he picks up speed.“Watch the stick, Mercer,” he taunts as I poke-check, nearly getting the puck from him. “Woul
Rook POVCameras flash, voices clash, and Kade already looks like he wants to throw someone into the boards again.I nudge him, smirking. “Well, Mercer, you finally gave them what they wanted. Feel special?”His jaw clenches. “Exactly what I needed today.”A reporter steps forward, mic practically in his face. “Kade, this is the first time we’ve seen a public display of affection between you and Rook. Was this planned?”Another jumps in before he can answer. “You’ve stayed quiet since the first photos surfaced. Does this mean you’re officially comfortable with being public?”I glance at Kade, watching him debate between ignoring them or committing some light assault.Sighing, I step in, grinning. “He’s shy. You know how it is. Soft-spoken, fragile, not great with attention.”Kade glares at me. “Shut the hell up.”I gasp dramatically, pressing a hand to my chest. “Did you hear that? The Kade Mercer just spoke. Guess the silent treatment is over.”A few chuckles ripple through the repor
Rook POVBen groans, rubbing a hand down his face. “I swear to god, can you two not do whatever that was while we’re trying to drink?”Kade, unfazed, leans back in his chair. “Then stop staring.”I laugh, shifting closer, letting my knee rest against his under the table. He doesn’t move away.The conversation flows easily, shifting from the game to upcoming matchups, past rivalries, and whatever bullshit the guys feel like chirping about. Kade stays in it, actually talking, not just sitting there like he’s waiting for an excuse to leave.It’s easy, natural, the way he leans into me slightly when I stretch, the way his fingers briefly rest against my arm when he gestures for another drink.He’s comfortable, which makes me wonder how far that comfort goes.He’s always been territorial in his own way, always quick to pull me back when I push too much. But how possessive is he, really? He was just jealous over Ben and he barely said anything.I tap my fingers against my glass, my smirk wi
Rook POVStepping into our room, I barely make it a few steps before my thoughts catch up to me.Kade is possessive as hell. I knew it before, had seen glimpses of it, but tonight? That was something else. He didn’t just get jealous, he practically snapped the second he thought I was ignoring him, the moment I gave someone else even a fraction of my attention.And maybe I should be concerned about that. But I’m not. Because, honestly? I fucking love it.The thought barely settles before Kade is on me.His hands grip my hoodie, yanking me back before I even realize he’s moved. His mouth crashes onto mine, hard and urgent, and before I can get a damn word out, he’s already pulling at my clothes.“Jesus, Mercer, at least let me get through the door properly,” I mutter between kisses, but he just growls against my lips, shoving my hoodie off my shoulders.“You pushed me all fucking night,” he mutters, hands already working on my shirt. “Now you deal with it.”I smirk. “Oh no, I’m so scare
Rook POVHis lips part, and I don’t give him the chance to answer before I crash my mouth against his, taking everything, making sure he knows exactly who he belongs to.Kade responds quickly, his body arching up against mine as he meets my kiss with a fierce hunger of his own. His wrists strain against my grip, not to break free, but to feel the strength of my hold.I break away, trailing biting kisses down his jaw and neck. “You’re a fucking tease, you know that?” I growl against his skin.He lets out a breathy laugh. “Maybe I just like reminding you what’s yours.”I lift my head to meet his gaze, seeing the challenge there, the fire that matches my own. “As if I could ever forget.”My hand slides down his body, possessive and demanding. Kade’s breath hitches, his eyes darkening with desire.“Rook,” he breathes, my name a plea on his lips.I smirk, enjoying the way he’s coming undone beneath me. “What is it? Tell me what you want.”His hips buck up against mine, seeking friction. “Y
Kade POVWaking up, I turn over and see Rook still asleep, sprawled out like he doesn’t have a single responsibility in the world.Smirking, I shift onto him, leaning in close, just watching him. He looks peaceful like this, but that’s boring, and it’s about time he wakes up anyway.Gripping his shoulders, I shake him roughly. “Rise and shine.”He groans, swatting at me like I’m some kind of pest, but I don’t move. Instead, I lean down and lick his face, dragging my tongue across his cheek just to be an asshole.His reaction is immediate. His hand clamps over my mouth as his eyes snap open, glaring. “One, did you just lick me? What the fuck are you, a dog?”I grin under his palm, shrugging.“Two,” he continues, voice rough with sleep, “can you never just wake me up like a normal person?”I pry his hand off, smirking. “You’re so grumpy in the morning.”His eyes narrow. “That’s because you wake me up like a psychopath. You know how most people wake their boyfriend up? A blowjob, Kade. A
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
Rook POVThis is impossible. There’s no footage from the back of the restaurant, the lead that Lorenzo found is a dead end. I’m beginning to think that note was planted to bait Kade, and now I wonder, did he even see it? Did he walk into this blind?Every fucking move I’ve made has led me in a circle. There’s nothing. No trail, no whispers of where he might be. I’ve had a list of names from Lorenzo, people in this country who might have had the balls to pull something like this. I went through them one by one. Each name dragged in, each one screaming in pain, but all swearing the same thing—they don’t know anything.How the fuck can none of them be involved? My eyes shift to the men in the room, the ones we brought with us. And for the first time, I wonder, are they all innocent? Something isn’t adding up.Nine hours.Nine fucking hours since Kade disappeared, and my father’s words echo in my head.Find him, or he’s dead
Kade POVDanielle watches, waiting, maybe hoping that I’ll finally break. I don’t. I inhale slowly, shaking the blood from my lips, and laugh.“How long do you think you’ve got left?” I ask, my voice rough but still steady. “Every minute you waste here? That’s more time my men have to find me. And when they do? You’ll be fucking wishing you killed me the second I walked through that door.”The guy in front of me hesitates, glancing back at her, waiting for an order.“Keep going,” she snaps, her voice sharper now.He does. Another punch to my ribs, another to my jaw, but I don’t stop grinning. The pain is sharp, burning through my body, but I don’t let it show. They want me to break. They want me to plead. That’s never going to happen.Danielle steps closer, her eyes locked onto mine. “You think you’re so fucking smart, don’t you?” she
Kade POVI hiss through my teeth, more from the annoyance than the pain. “There you go. That’s a little better.”She glares, dragging the blade in a shallow cut across my side, but she’s still holding back. Testing me. I shake my head, sighing.“See, this is why you’re not going to win,” I say, my voice steady despite the sting. “You don’t actually know how to do this.”Danielle scoffs. “Oh, I don’t?”I tilt my head. “No. If you did, you wouldn’t be wasting time with this weak shit.”She presses the knife in harder, and I grin, feeling her frustration build. “You want to break someone? You don’t start here,” I say, nodding toward my ribs. “You start small. Fingers. Knees. Maybe a little nerve damage if you want to get creative.”She stills, something flickering across her face. Disgust. Uncertainty.&ldq
Kade POVHer nostrils flare as she presses the blade harder, drawing a thin line of blood. “You don’t hold the power here.”“Don’t I?” I whisper, locking eyes with her. “Then why are you the one trying to prove something?”Her grip tightens on the knife, but she hesitates. That’s her biggest fucking problem. She doesn’t commit. She doesn’t know how to follow through.“Let me tell you how this plays out,” I continue, voice smooth despite the sting on my cheek. “You keep me here, keep trying to break me, but it doesn’t work. Eventually, you get frustrated, you get sloppy, and then my men find me. And when they do, you don’t walk away from this.”Her eyes narrow. “You sound pretty fucking confident for someone tied up right now.”“Because I know how this ends.” I smirk. “And so do you.”Danielle exhale
Kade POVLorenzo is weird. Not in a bad way, just… he’s always had that tone in his voice that says he’s not right in the head, and sitting here, talking to him, I know he’s far from right.I glance at my phone again. I know it’s disrespectful, but I want to stay on time and prove to Rook that I won’t mess up.“You keep looking at it,” Lorenzo taps the phone.“Sorry, I just want to stay on schedule.”He nods. “I understand that, which is why, as soon as the hour is up, my watch will vibrate to remind me,” he laughs, and I nod.Maybe that’s what I need to do—rather than constantly checking my phone.I go back to focusing on our conversation, making sure he knows exactly who I am and the kind of person I am. He talks a bit about Nikolai and the time they spent together when he had just started taking over here. He respects Nikolai&mdash
Rook POV“Find him!” I shout, turning back toward the others, fury and fear bleeding into every word.“We’re working on it,” Damon says quickly. “But his phone was found out the back of the restaurant. Smashed.”No. No, no, no. That phone was the only way to find him.“Track my phone,” I demand. “Whoever it is has my phone. Track it!”“We already tried when you didn’t answer my calls,” one of the men mutters. “It’s not giving off a signal.”My head shakes violently. “Nothing? You’ve had nothing? Not a single fucking thing to give you a hint of what they want?”Damon hesitates.I step toward him. “What is it?”His jaw clenches before he finally speaks. “Lorenzo dug into it and he mentioned there were three targets. Kade, you… and Harlow.”Everything inside me stills.