Rook POVHe’s serious. He really isn’t phased by this. If anything, he’s more annoyed that I’m pressing the issue than the fact the whole world thinks they know what happens between us.Shaking my head, I release him and sit back on his lap, letting my hands drop to his chest. “Unbelievable,” I mutter. “All this time I thought I was the reckless one.”Kade smirks, rubbing his hands over my thighs. “You are the reckless one. I just don’t see the point in flipping over something I can’t change.”I huff, rolling my eyes. “Right. You can’t change it. But you sure as hell can make sure it never happens again.”He leans back, stretching his arms behind his head. “Already handled. Your father’s men are on it. Whoever put the cameras there is already regretting it, trust me.”That makes me feel slightly better. But only slightly. I still don’t like that someone thought they could invade our space like that. Our wedding night. It doesn’t matter that Kade’s indifferent about the pictures. That’
Rook POVI want to tell him to stop, to walk away, to never get further involved in this life. But I can’t. It’s his choice. And the fact that he’d drop it for me? That’s a dangerous kind of devotion.“Now I feel like an asshole for asking,” I mutter.“Do you want me to?” he asks again, searching my face.“No,” I admit, shaking my head. “I just wanted to know if you would.”Kade watches me for a beat, then lifts a brow. “Let me ask you this, Rook, if I asked you not to take over for your father when it’s time, would you refuse?”I scoff immediately. “What kind of dumb fucking question is that? If you told me not to, I wouldn’t.”“Oh, so when I ask, it’s a dumb question, but not when you ask?” He tilts his head, stepping closer, backing me up against the cool tile.I shrug. “Well, I am obsessed with you, so yeah, clearly it’s dumb of you to ask. You should know by now I’d do anything you fucking asked.”His smirk returns, slow and dangerous. “Is that so?”I nod, but something about the
Kade POVStepping into the house, my eyes immediately find Harlow. She’s sitting on the floor with Rose, surrounded by toys, her little hands grasping at them in fascination. I walk over and lower myself onto the floor beside them, scooping her into my arms.“How was she?” I ask, brushing my fingers over her warm cheeks. They’re flushed, a sign she’s been teething.“Fussy, but not too bad. She’s been settled for a few hours now,” Rose says, offering me a small smile.I glance around, noticing the quiet. “Where are Amelia and Louise?”“Nikolai had someone drive Louise home. She has school in the morning. Amelia went to the apartment to get settled in, she wasn’t comfortable around Harlow.”I nod, absorbing that. It’s my fault. I got caught up with Rook, lost track of time, and spent the entire day at the hotel. I should’ve been here, should’ve seen them off, but I let myself get too distracted.Rose watches me for a moment before offering, “I can get her ready for bed if you want?”I s
Rook POVThe warehouse smells like sweat and blood, the thick scent clinging to the air as I step into the center of the makeshift training ring. The men stand in a loose circle, shifting on their feet, their faces a mix of eagerness and nerves. They’re new, fresh recruits who think a few street fights and a decent right hook make them ready for this life. They don’t know shit.I roll my shoulders, flexing my fingers as I let my gaze sweep over them. “You think you know how to fight,” I say, my voice cutting through the quiet. “But what you’ve done before now? It’s not enough. A soldier doesn’t fight to win a round, he fights to put his opponent down. Fast. Clean. No hesitation.”A few of them nod like they understand, but they don’t. Not yet. They will soon.I step back and jerk my chin at one of them, a broad guy with a cocky smirk and the stance of someone who relies on his size more than his skill. “You. In the ring.”He steps forward, rolling his shoulders like this is a warm-up
Kade POVThe morning light filters through the curtains, casting a soft glow over the room. Rook is still asleep, his breathing slow and steady, his arm draped loosely over my waist. Harlow is nestled between us, curled up against his chest, her tiny fingers gripping onto his shirt even in sleep.Standing I watch them for a moment, taking it in.Today is Rook’s birthday.I don’t know if he cares about it, I don’t even know if he’s the kind of person who celebrates, but I do. And for the first time in a long time, I want to make sure he knows that he’s important, that he’s more than just the man people fear or the player his teammates depend on.He’s mine. And he’s Harlow’s.Moving, I carefully slip out of bed, making sure not to wake either of them, and head downstairs to the kitchen. I’m not exactly a chef, but I know enough to make something decent. Pancakes. Bacon. Coffee. Simple, but something just for him.By the time I’m carrying the tray back upstairs, I hear Harlow’s little no
5 years later!Rook POVI drop my phone onto the desk, leaning back in my chair just as my father steps in and braces himself against the doorframe. His expression is the usual mix of exasperation and mild amusement.“He’s back,” he announces.I nod, pushing myself to my feet. “Good.”Heading upstairs, I make my way to our bedroom, and the sound of running water draws me toward the bathroom. Pushing the door open, I find Kade at the sink, washing his hands like some guy fresh off a crime scene. Which, knowing him, isn’t far from the truth.“So, are you going to explain?” I ask, stepping closer.“Explain what?” He flicks a glance at me through the mirror, ever the picture of innocence.“You know what,” I laugh, pressing into him, my gaze dropping to his hands. Red stains swirl down the drain, and I arch a brow. “Kade, you do realize Jonathan has been working with my father for years, right?”“He’s alive,” he mutters, like that should earn him some kind of award.I snort. “Bravo. Bonus
Rook POVI stare at him, my brain taking an extra second to process that last part.“He knew?” My voice is calm. Too calm.Kade nods. “Heard the whispers. Knew someone had fucked with your car. Decided to keep his mouth shut and see if you’d end up as a smear on the highway.”A slow, simmering rage settles in my chest. Not the kind that burns hot and fast, but the kind that lingers, waiting for the right moment to be unleashed.“Right,” I say, rolling my shoulders. “So you hit him?”Kade snorts. “Hit him? No, Rook, I fucking wrecked him.”That makes me feel slightly better, but only slightly. My fingers twitch at my sides. “Is he still breathing?”“Barely,” Kade says, eyes watching me carefully. “Your father gave the go-ahead, but I figured you might want to decide how this ends.”I exhale through my nose, willing the fury to settle before I do something reckless.Jonathan. That spineless piece of shit. Not only did he know, but he waited to see if I’d die. And now Kade has given me a
Kade POVI grab a clean shirt from the basket and pull it on as I head upstairs. I should’ve known Harlow would run straight to Rook, that kid is easily bribed.“Wait for me,” Rook mutters behind me, and I glance back. He’s already pulling off his damp shirt, digging through his things. “I need dry clothes, then I’m coming. Someone has to help Harlow kick your ass at the games,” he shrugs before walking past me.By the time I reach the room, Harlow is grinning, sitting beside Rose with a tablet in her lap, scrolling through dolls online.“A doll?” I raise a brow, looking between them.“Apparently, being refused a new one made her agree quickly,” Nikolai chuckles, arms crossed as he leans against the desk. “Girl’s got a brain on her, I’ll give her that, didn’t even hesitate to take the bribe.”Yeah, she also didn’t hesitate to throw me under the bus. I ruffle her hair, smirking as she swats at my hand. “We’ll leave soon,” I tell her. She barely acknowledges me, too busy pointing at som
Kade POVThe sound of Rook pulls me from my sleep. Groaning, I try to get more comfortable.“Kade,” he whispers, and I groan.“No.” I’m sleeping. He can leave me alone.“Wake up.”Shaking my head, I keep my eyes closed. “Shh.”He chuckles quietly. “You need to wake up.”“Five more minutes,” I whisper.“As nice as it has been to have you this close for the last, like, eight hours, the plane is descending, and my body is numb.”I move slightly and realize. “Shit.” I fell asleep on him. I pull back slightly, and he’s smirking at me. “Sorry.”“It was highly amusing. One moment we were talking, then you were snoring in my ear. No warning, nothing.”I rub my face, trying to wake myself up. “I slept the whole flight?”“You did. On me.” He smirks, and I nod.“Sorry. You should have woken me and told me to move.” What sort of idiot doesn’t? I remember we got cleaned up and dressed. Then he pulled me back onto him.What the hell were we talking about? My mind tries to think back. I just remembe
Rook POVKade’s fingers move to undo the rest of my buttons, and I lift my hips to help him slide my trousers down. His eyes never leave mine, and I can see the fire in them. I reach up and run my fingers through his hair, pulling him closer to me.His hand wraps around my cock and I shudder at the touch, my body betraying my earlier reservations. He smirks, knowing he’s won this round, and leans in to press a kiss to my neck. The sensation of his lips on my skin sends a thrill down my spine, and I can’t help but let out a low moan.Kade takes this as encouragement and continues to explore my body with his mouth. His tongue traces a path along my collarbone, and I can feel my resolve weakening with every passing second. I try to remind myself that this isn’t the right time, that we have more important things to focus on, but it’s hard to think straight when Kade is making me feel this good.He drops to his knees in front of me and I can feel his hot breath on my cock, and I know what’
Rook POVKade hasn’t moved much since he finally let himself collapse into me. He’s still pressed against my side, his head resting against my shoulder, his breathing is slower now, but there’s still something off. He’s not asleep, but he’s not really here either. He’s stuck somewhere in his own fucking head, lost in thoughts I can’t pull him out of, so I just sit here with him, my arm around him, my hand rubbing slow, steady circles on his back.I don’t rush him, I don’t tell him to get up, get over it, and move on.I just wait, because for once, he’s not trying to pretend.The car slows, the subtle shift in movement telling me we’ve arrived at the airstrip. I glance out the window and see the jet waiting, the engines already running, ready to take us the fuck away from here.Damon is standing by the car before we even get out, his face unreadable as he opens the door. “Rose t
Rook POVI don’t think I’ve ever seen Kade like this, not once.Not when he came home hurt from that fight my dad forced him into, not when things with work went to shit, not even when he was exhausted and running on nothing but adrenaline. He always had control, always held himself together, always showed only what he wanted people to see.Kade doesn’t break. He gets angry, he gets cocky, he gets jealous, but he never lets himself be sad. He’s never cried, not in the five years I’ve been married to him. Not even once. I can't remember a time before that when he has either.Now, he’s falling apart in my arms, his body shaking, his is breathing ragged, as his hands grip at my shirt like he doesn’t know how to let go.I hold him tighter, keeping him pressed against me, my fingers still buried in his hair. He fought me at first, tried to pull away, tried to convince himself he didn’t deserve this, but I
Kade POVI can’t stop shaking. My whole fucking body feels wrong, like my skin is too tight. I feel like I’m trapped inside something I can’t break out of and my hands keep flexing and curling into fists because I don’t know what the fuck else to do with them.Rook is still holding onto me, still looking at me like I’m worth something, and I don’t fucking understand it.“I’ve fucked up everything,” I whisper, my voice hoarse.Rook exhales, his grip on my jaw loosening slightly, his fingers brushing against my skin. “Kade—”“No,” I cut him off, shaking my head. “I have. I fucking have, Rook. You sat there and told me you thought I’d change after we got married. That you thought I’d let you in. I didn’t, instead I spent five years treating this like it wasn’t real, like if I let myself believe I had you, it would mean I’d lose you.”Rook doesn’t say anything, doesn’t interrupt, he just watches as I fall apart in front of him.“I wasn’t
Kade POVRook is staring at me, and I’m not sure why. “You knew?” I ask.“Yeah, don’t shout I fucking forgot because of everything.”I’m not about to shout. It’s not his fault, I wasn’t there so he couldn’t tell me.“I’m not about to shout, I just don’t get why you let her stay.”Turning, he faces me more. “I wasn’t going to, but everyone looked at me like I was heartless. She’s dying Kade, and had I sent her away without you knowing it wouldn’t have gone down well.”I nod and look out of the window. How have I fucked up so much? When did it get to a point where if I make a move on him, it’s something calculated and meaning more is happening?When did things turn to shit? I push to figure it out and I hate it because the more I focus, the more I realise I’ve pushed Rook out for years, it began
Rook POV“I don’t know how to commit,” he mutters, voice rough like the words are cutting him on the way out.I don’t say anything. I just wait.He swallows hard, shaking his head slightly. “I love you. I want to be married to you. But I don’t know how to just be. I don’t know how to exist without the weight of knowing things can fall apart at any second.”His breathing is uneven now, but he pushes forward, like he’s ripping open something inside himself that he’s never touched before. “I don’t know how to stop waiting for the worst to happen. I don’t know how to sit still, how to let things be good, because every time I do, every time I think I have something that’s mine, something that’s safe, it’s taken from me.”His voice lowers, his fingers curling against his palms. “I had nothing growing up, Rook. And every time I thought I was getting
Rook POVThe bed shifts, and I blink awake, my vision blurring as I adjust to the dim light. The first thing I see is Kade hovering over me, his mouth tilted into a small smirk.I reach for my phone to check the time, but before I can grab it, he stops me, pressing his lips to mine.“Kade.” The word is muffled against his mouth, but he doesn’t let up.“Shut the fuck up, Rook,” he growls, his grip tightening as he kisses me harder.I let out a breathy laugh, my hands bracing against his chest. “You’re telling me what to do?” Since when does he? His fingers slide into my hair, gripping tight as he pulls my head back, deepening the kiss.“Yes, I am.” His body presses down over mine, pinning me beneath him, his lips hungry, his touch rougher than usual.This isn’t him. “Kade, what are you doing?” I push him back, and he stares down at me, his expression unreadable.“Don’t do that,” I mutter. “Don’t start doing shit
Rook POVWhen I wake it’s nearly midday. Kade is still asleep, so maybe it’s time to get payback for last nights shit.He looks peaceful. Too peaceful. I smirk, remembering last night. The way he tried, the way he pushed, and the way he immediately passed out the second I left him alone. He wanted to mess with me? Fine. I’ll get him back.Slowly, I ease out from under his arm, careful not to wake him. He doesn’t stir, lost in whatever drunken dreams he’s having.This is almost too easy. I grip his hips and flip him onto his stomach, his body barely reacting. He groans softly, face still buried in the pillow, but he doesn’t wake.Smirking, I grab his wrists and pull them above his head, using the handcuffs to secure them against the headboard.Now, for the best part. Biting back a laugh, I slide off the bed and head into the bathroom. Grabbing the small bucket from under the sink, I turn on the cold tap, le